Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots
by Skoolgrl09
Summary: A series of one-shots surrounding the lives of characters from Cars and Cars 3 off screen, including backstories. Genres will vary. One-shots will be posted in no particular order. They will be posted based on their time of completion. Contains: Lightning, Sally, Doc, Smokey, Mack, Mater, Ramone, Flo, and many more. OCs will be included. Rated T for safety.
1. Getting Smoked

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Getting Smoked**

It was a rainy day in Thomasville, North Carolina. Smokey was parked at his desk in his garage, sorting through mail.

" Bill," he muttered. " Bill. Bill. Junkmail. Junkmail. Coupon..."

The Hudson pick-up truck froze, eyes widened. In his tire was a letter from Doc. He set the rest of the unsorted mail off to the side then opened the letter.

" Howdy, Smokey," the letter began. " This is Hud. I know. I know. It's been a long time, I have a lot of explaining to do, and I owe you a big apology for cutting off contact with you."

" You got that right, you son of a gun," Smokey scoffed then continued reading.

" As you probably already know, I am in Radiator Springs, AZ," the letter continued. " I've lived here for over fifty years now. It's a quiet, little town. So quiet and so little, it's isolated from the rest of the world. Nobody had any idea who I was, until somebody snooped around in my garage and blabbed about it."

" I wonder who that could be," Smokey muttered to himself.

" Thanks, Lightning," the letter kept going on and Smokey chuckled. " Yes, Lightning. As in Lightning McQueen. I'm mentoring him in addition to being his crew chief. Yes, he dragged me back into the racing world, kicking and screaming, mind you. Nice kid. Has a good hood on his axles…Now. Has a lot of stuff, too. Oh, you have got to see him, Smokey. Reminds me of me when I was his age. Here's a picture of the boy."

Smokey glanced below the writing to find a picture of Lightning flying through the air with his tongue out. The old truck giggled.

" Don't tell him I gave you that," Doc warned him in all capital letters. " I found it in the trash. Sneaked it away while the boy was busy cleaning out his trailer. Speaking of the devil, here he comes. I best be going now. Here's my phone number: (555)-555-A113. Please, feel free to call me any time. Hud."

The Hudson truck set the letter down on the table then glanced over at the rotary dial to his left. He reached for it, hesitating. Smokey sighed then picked it up, using a pencil to dial the numbers.

" This had better be worth it," Smokey mumbled.

Back in Radiator Springs, the phone in Doc's garage began ringing. Doc and Lightning were just returning from a day of training, covered in cacti and laughing. Both went silent when they heard the phone. Doc ushered Lightning toward Flo's then raced into the garage, picking it up.

" Hornet residence," Doc announced.

" Hud," Smokey started. " Hud, is that you? You sound old."

" And so do you, Smokey," Doc quipped back. " I see you got the letter…I am so sorry, Smokey, about everything. You didn't deserve that."

" You getting all mushy on me, Boy," Smokey teased.

" Would you rather I drive all the way back to North Carolina and punch you in the fender, like in the good old days," Doc picked back.

The old cars busted up laughing.

" I see you're still ornery as ever," Smokey commented.

" Back at ya," Doc commented back.

" Keep that trait," Smokey encouraged. " You wouldn't be you without it."

" Plan to," Doc tweeted. " So, how have you been? How's the garage? How's Thomasville? How's the old gang, or what's left of it anyway?"

" I've been doing okay," Smokey replied. " The garage went under a couple of decades ago, so I no longer do that. Fortunately, I was old enough to retire at the time, so I did. Thomasville has remained the same, except for the residents. We're nothing but a bunch of dinosaurs now. Can't believe nobody wants to move here. Most of the gang is alive and well, except for Ronnie Roadster and Hugh Hudson. They both passed away a few decades ago. Two years apart. Ronnie wasn't much of a talker and Hugh was never one to go one minute without blowing a fuse over something, so they weren't missed much."

" Ah, that Ronnie," Doc recollected, shaking his frontend. " He was always brooding in a corner and staring. Never did like him. And, Hugh…Oh, good Ford…I will never forget the day I caught him beating his wife over a can of oil."

" And I will never forget the day he beat you up for reporting him to the police," Smokey recalled. " That was a week that Thomasville will never forget."

" Tell me about it," Doc groaned.

" Anyway, my turn," Smokey uttered. " How have you been? What have you been up to since you left Thomasville, besides hiding? How's Radiator Springs? How are things going with the boy?"

" Much better now that I've gotten back into the racing world," Doc answered. " Didn't realize how much I missed it until the kid literally came barreling into town. Let's see, after I left Thomasville, I went to go study law and medicine. Now, I am a doctor, a judge, and a racing expert. Radiator Springs is thriving now that it's back on the map. You should really come see it someday. It kinda reminds me of Thomasville, only not as green and everything is 50's themed. Things are going well with the boy. We fell into the tulips and got a little beat up today, though. The kid lost control while drifting and slammed into me. Took us both down."

" Aww, how cute," Smokey mused. " Is he yours?"

" I wish," Doc chimed. " You know me, though. I never could settle down. If I wasn't up in one pretty girl's grill, I was up in anothers…You know, sometimes I wonder if we are related. Will have to get his production code and trace it back. Check it out."

" Or you could not be so dad gum creepy and ask him about his family like a normal car," Smokey offered.

" Smokey, I was joking," Doc said, bluntly. " I'm curious, but not that curious."

There was a knock at Smokey's garage door.

" Hey, Smokey," the voice of an elderly female hollered from the background. " Who are you talking to?"

" An old friend," Smokey yelled back. " I'll be right out."

" Well, hurry," she barked. " It is your turn to make dinner for the group tonight. If you don't feed them, they will feed on you."

" Is that Lou," Doc questioned, raising a windshield.

" Sure enough," Smokey replied, rolling his eyes. " She's still got eyes for you, you know."

" Tell her I'm still not interested," Doc rejected. " I could never date a woman who can catch me."

" That's because you can't behave," Smokey taunted. " If you behaved you wouldn't have to worry about that."

" That will never happen," Doc said with a chuckle. " And you know that. Anyway, I better let you go before Barnstormer comes a knocking again or she'll have both of our hoods."

" Later, Hud," Smokey dismissed. " Don't be a stranger."

" I promise," Doc uttered. " I will write to you and call you as often as I can. No more cutting off contact. Later, Smokey."

They both hung up at the same time. Smokey stared at the phone, sighing as old and new memories surfaced. He missed the stubborn, old ex-racer already.

" Smokey, everybody's starving," Lou shoute, as she knocked on the garage door, again. " I think I can see their frames."

Smokey guffawed to himself then turned to go outside. Before leaving, he grabbed the letter and the picture Doc gave to him.


	2. The Porsche with the Pinstripe Tattoo

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **The Porsche with the Pinstripe Tattoo**

It was the year 2003. Sally was parked at her desk, filling out paperwork for a Los Angeles law-firm. She paused to peek at the clock. It was seven o'clock at night. The Porsche sighed, rolling her eyes. She glanced back at the forms, tire gripping the pen tightly. Her boss promised to let her go home at four today. She had been there since six in the morning. As usual, Mr. Lamborghini never kept his promises when it came to work hours. Speaking of which, Mr. Lamborghini rolled into the office, parking in front of her desk. Sally looked up at him, setting her pen down.

" Can I help you, Mr. Lamborghini," Sally questioned.

" Why yes, Ms. Carrera," Mr. Lamborghini chimed. " I need you to stay here for a couple of more hours. The Mustang Vs Ford case has been bumped forward a week and we need that paperwork, asap."

Sally froze, eyes widened. She blinked a few times.

" Yes, of course," Sally tweeted with a forced grin, eye twitching. " Th-that case. Very important. Need to finish that paperwork, asap. Heh."

" Splendid," Mr. Lamborghini beamed. " That's what I like about you, Ms. Carrera. Keep that up and you'll be going places."

" Yeah, to my grave," Sally thought to herself as her jaw shifted to the side, her teeth making a scraping sound.

He sped out of the room, bidding her goodnight. After he left, Sally dropped her grin into a grimace. She lowered her front and silently cried to herself.

After her shift was over, she drove down a few blocks then turned into a local bar. She parked in front of the bartender's area, sagging on her tires. The bartender pulled up to her, wiping down a glass with a washcloth.

" Rough day, again," the green Monte Carlo asked.

Sally nodded, tears brimming her windshield.

" Sally, this is the third time this week you've come in here and it's not even Wednesday, yet," the bartender said, putting the glass down. " You need to find another job."

" I will when I have time to do it," Sally murmured, bitterly.

" Well, we at the "Greasy Can" have a job opening, if you're interested," he offered, shrugging. " I can hire you right now. Start you after your two weeks are up. Your position will be dishwasher, but…"

" No thanks, Simon," Sally rejected, shaking her hood. " I spend enough time in bars as it is. The only reason I come here is to drown my sorrows."

Simon tapped his front bumper with his tire, half of his windshield raised.

" Have you ever considered maybe taking a vacation," Simon uttered.

" Vacation," Sally looked up, scoffing and rolling her eyes. " Mr. Lamborghini would never allow it. I could lose my job if I left for even one day."

" Then try to make a little bit of time for you every day," Simon suggested. " Do five minutes of yoga, solve a puzzle, practice karaoke…Anything you find fun and relaxing."

Sally looked back down at the floor, pondering. She tried to think of the things she used to do in her spare time, but nothing came to mind. It had been too long since she had a hobby. In fact, the last time she had a hobby was in high school. After that, she just partied with her college classmates in her spare time. Sally's eyes lit up. Some of her old college classmates still lived nearby. She glanced at the clock on the wall behind Simon. Everybody was probably asleep or too drunk to talk. She would have to call them tomorrow. Sally had a few drinks then had a taxi cab escort her home.

The next day, Sally began making phone calls. One of her old classmates squealed into the phone upon answering.

" Sally, oh my gosh," Her voice chimed. " It has been forever since I heard from you, Girl. What's up? Where have you been? Have you been seeing a guy? Dish, Girl."

" Hi, Margo," Sally chimed. " Sorry. I've been really busy lately. Work's been having me do twelve to fifteen hour shifts, seven days a week. You?"

" Been working part-time as a substitute teacher," Margo tweeted. " Listen, Sally. You really have to go to this party tonight. There's going to be a band, lots of food, lots of drinks, lots of games, and lots of cute boys. Rumor has it, there's also going to be a tattoo artist, so we'll all have something to remember this night forever by."

" Sounds great," Sally grinned then asked. " When is it?"

" It starts at eight," Margo retorted. " Be there or be square."

" Oh, I'll be there," Sally replied enthusiastically. " Might be late, depending on what my boss wants me to do today, though."

" That's okay," Margo beamed. " Just as long as you show up. I'm coming in at nine, myself."

" Great," Sally chirped. " Guess I'll see you when I get there then. Oh, looks like lunch break is over. Later."

" TTYL, Girl," Margo tweeted then hung up her phone the same time as Sally.

Several hours later, Sally's shift was over. She sped over to her apartment, took a quick car-wash, put on enough make-up to highlight her features, and bolted out the door. A couple of blocks away, she heard loud music booming. It almost hurt her door handles. She drove closer until she was outside of the mansion where the party was supposed to be held at. Sally pulled out her phone and read the text Margo had sent her just a couple of hours prior, just to be sure. She had the right place. The Porsche took a deep breath then headed toward the front door. Once she reached the front door, she knocked on it. A forklift wearing a bow-tie opened the door then glanced down at her, a bored look on his face.

" Are you here for the party," he asked and Sally nodded. " Right this way, Madam."

He gestured inside. Sally entered the mansion and looked around. There were cars everywhere. Some were dancing, some were singing, some were drinking, some were over by the snack table, and some were getting tattoos. Sally scanned the crowd, trying to find Margo. Her eyes lit up. In the middle of the crowd sat a pink VW Bug. She was talking with a group of guys. They were all laughing, awkwardly.

" Margo," Sally hollered, causing the Bug to jump and turn around.

The male cars took this as an opportunity to sneak away.

" Sally," Margo screamed and sped over to Sally, hugging her. " OMG. You made it."

" I did," Sally proudly stated then raised a windshield. " What are you wearing?"

Margo looked up at the fruit hat on top of her cab then glanced back down at her friend.

" Oh, this is a little something I found in the back of my closet," Margo gushed. " I've never worn it before, so I figured I would wear it tonight, just to say that I have worn it. And, you…You're wearing make-up. I've never seen you wear make-up before. You expecting to get lucky tonight?"

" No," Sally shook her hood. " I figured that since this is a special occasion that I should go all out. What do you think?"

" I think you look fabulous," Margo commented then glanced over at one of the guys, glaring and shouting. " Hey, Mark. What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be flirting with me. Come back here."

Margo chased the blue Jaguar out of the room. Sally chuckled then drove over to where the food was at. The selection was elaborate. Foods of all kinds lined the table tops. Some of it she had never heard of before. Sally decided to settle for a simple cupcake. She needed the sugar if she wanted to stay up and party with her friends. Sally felt somebody tap her on the fender. She turned around, mouth half stuffed with a cupcake. In front of her was a male yellow BMW. Sally swallowed the dessert, choking on it as it went down her throat.

" Excuse me, Miss," the BMW chimed, holding out a tire. " May I have this dance?"

" Um," Sally muttered. " Sure."

She held her tire out and he took it, pulling her onto the dance floor. Once they reached their destination, they began dancing.

" So, what's your name," the BMW asked.

" Sally," Sally retorted. " Sally Carrera. Yours?"

"Bradley Beemer," the BMW answered. " I've never seen you before. Margo says your one of her friends."

" I've been busy, slaving away at a law-firm," Sally groaned, rolling her eyes. " But I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to have fun."

" Well, you came to the right place," Bradley chimed.

The two continued dancing for a while then they headed over to the refreshments stand.

" May I interest you in a drink," he offered, holding out a cup to her.

" Sure," Sally agreed, taking it. " What is it?"

" Booze," Bradley retorted, shrugging. " All these drinks are booze."

" I think I'll just, uh, go into the kitchen and grab myself a glass of gasoline," Sally set the glass down. " I have to drive home tonight."

" Hmph," Bradley scoffed, smirking. " I thought you were here to have fun…Look. I'll have my limo escort you home, okay?"

Sally grinned at him. Several hours later, morning came. Sally woke up, wincing. She was nauseous, her cab ached, and the underside of her spoiler was sore. Sally made a mental note to check the underside of her spoiler later. The Porsche jumped and turned to the sound of snoring. Parked next to her was Bradley, sleeping sounding. They were in his bedroom. Sally's eyes widened. She had stayed at the mansion all night. Sally checked her cellphone's clock. She was two hours late for work.

" No," she whispered, loudly. " No. No. No. No."

Sally rushed over to the law-firm, trying to get cleaned up as much as possible on the way. A half hour later, she stumbled into her office and over to her desk, knocking things over. Mr. Lamborghini entered the room, reading from a clipboard. He glanced up at Sally, who was picking forms up off the floor.

" Ah, there you are, Ms. Carrera," he stated. " I was beginning to think you were abducted by aliens or something."

Sally turned around abruptly, bumping into him and dropping the forms. The Porsche froze, fear evident in her eyes. He scanned her face.

" Are you wearing make-up," Mr. Lamborghini questioned, causing Sally to wince. " About time. Nobody likes a frumpy female lawyer."

" Frumpy," Sally thought, trying to restrain herself from slapping her boss and chewing him out.

" Anyway, I read the paperwork you gave to me for the Mustang vs Ford case," he changed the topic. " Excellent work. You are definitely a shoe-in for Employee of the Month."

" Can my reward be a week-long vacation from this pit of misery," Sally asked him in her mind, forcing another grin.

" Well, I best be heading to my dentist appointment," Mr. Lamborghini turned to leave, but stopped and glanced behind him. " Oh, and Ms. Carrera? Do cover up your tattoo, would you? We are professionals here."

He slammed the door shut on his way out. Sally froze again, staring into space as a blush crept across her hood.

" T-t-tattoo," Sally stuttered then slapped her tire over her mouth as her hangover caught back up to her.


	3. That Noise

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **That Noise**

Doc was driving around the clinic, opening cabinets and drawers.

" Where is it," he muttered to himself, now checking under objects. " I just used it not too long ago. Where is it?"

Lightning and Sally entered the building. They both watched as Doc tore the room apart.

" I know I have it," Doc grumbled under his breath. " Where did I put it?"

" Put what," Sally asked. " What are you looking for?"

Doc drove over to the couple, lifting their tires so he could look under them.

" My wrench," Doc sighed then drove passed them. " I can't seem to find it."

After a couple of more minutes, Doc groaned in defeat then turned back to the couple.

" So, what brings you two by," Doc questioned, grinning.

The couple exchanged glances. Sally nodded.

" I've been hearing this clanking sound underneath my hood," Lightning stated, gesturing to his hood. " It's been driving me nuts all morning and it is starting to scare me. I was wondering if you can check it out."

" Of course," Doc replied, pulling in front of the red car. " Pop your hood, please."

Lightning popped his hood open. The dark blue car pushed it all the way up then began searching for the cause of the noise, by trying to wiggle parts of the engine.

" Hehe," Lightning chuckled. " That tickles."

" So, you say this has been going on all morning," Doc questioned, checking the stock car's oil for possible leaks.

" All morning," Lightning moaned, rolling his eyes.

" It's really loud, too," Sally added, scrunching her grill. " Whatever it is."

" Weird," Doc said then went to check the motor mount. " Sounds like that don't start out loud. They usually take days worsen."

" Well, I must be going deaf, because I hear it now," Lightning uttered.

" If you're going deaf then I must be going legally deaf and blind, because I should've caught something like that at your appointment, if not sooner," Doc stated then narrowed his eyes. " What the…That wasn't like that yesterday."

" What," Lightning raised a windshield, feeling nervous.

" One of your hoses is loose," Doc grunted.

" Is that what's causing that sound," Lightning spoke, a little irritated. " A loose hose?"

" No, a loose hose wouldn't cause that kinda racket, Son," Doc tightened the hose then grinned. " There. That's better."

Doc then went to check the manifold. Everything looked good there, too. Next, he checked out the transmission and kept going from there until he ran out of places to check. Again, everything looked good. The fan was a little bent, though. Doc made a mental note to keep an eye on that. The old car hummed, getting more baffled by the cause of the noise. He drove over to his desk and came back with a reader. The Hudson Hornet opened up the racecar's door and plugged it into an outlet. He deflated as he read the results.

" Still no leads," Doc unplugged the reader and gently closed the door.

" So, are you saying that I'm going to be stuck like this, forever," Lightning started to panic.

" No, but you are going to be stuck here until I figure out what the problem is," Doc went to put the reader away. " Can't have you driving around like that."

" Guess I'm going to be stuck here, too," Sally shrugged. " I promised Stickers I wouldn't leave his side until you figured out what the problem was."

" Good," Doc agreed as he drove back over to them. " The kid's going to need you."

" So, when was the last time you saw your wrench," Sally questioned.

" Yesterday, while I was working on," realization donned on him and he face palmed, grumbling. " I am such an idiot."

Lightning popped his hood again and Doc took another look inside.

" Tilt your nose down," Doc instructed.

The red car tilted his nose down and out slid the wrench. It was hiding underneath his engine. Doc quickly retrieved it.

" Aha," he cheered, holding it up in the air. " I was wondering where that went."

Lightning drove around the garage. All he could hear now was the sound of his V8 engine echoing throughout.

" The noise," he chimed with a huge grin on his face. " It's gone. Thanks, Doc."

" Don't thank me, Kiddo," Doc pointed the wrench at him as he parked next to Sally. " I'm the reason for the noise in the first place. If anything, I owe you an apology, starting with getting you a new fan. Yours is a little bent. It's nothing to worry about, yet, but it'd still be best to replace it as soon as possible."

" Sounds fair," Lightning shrugged.

" I also owe you a thank-you for helping me find my wrench," Doc piped. " Both of you…Now, have any of you seen my pliers?"


	4. Playing Games

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Playing Games**

" Come on, McQueen," Mater shouted next to him. " Keep up."

" Trying," Lightning yelled, pushing down on the accelerator as much as he could.

" I'm winnin'," Mater cheered, taking the lead. " I'm winnin'."

Suddenly, Lightning took the lead, cocky smile present.

" Not for long," he boasted.

Before he knew it, a turtle shell came flying up behind him. It bashed into his rear-end, causing him to spin out. Mater took the lead, again. He chuckled as he crossed the finish line.

" Weee ooo," Mater chimed as the words "1st Place" popped up in front of him. " I won. I won."

" Yes, Mater," Lightning sighed as the words "2nd Place" popped up in front of him. " You won. Now, can we play something else, please?"

" No way," Mater shook his hood. " Mario Kart 57 is my favorite game."

" Well, it's my least favorite," Lightning grunted, irritated.

" Only because you can't beat me," Mater taunted, getting in his face.

" It's not that," Lightning argued then gestured to the screen. " This…This isn't real racing. I don't even know what to call it."

" Sore loser," Mater mumbled to himself, trying to stifle a laugh.

" I'm not a sore loser," Lightning raised his voice, glaring.

" Wimp," Mater chuckled out.

" Excuse me," Lightning stood straight on his tires, offended. " I am a professional Piston Cup Nascar. I put up with bumps, scrapes, drama, dirt, the paparazzi, and a vigorous exercise routine on top of my personal life. It is a lot of hard work. In no way am I a wimp. Far from it. You, on the other tire, wouldn't last a day doing what I do for a living."

" Is that a challenge, I hear," Mater questioned, tilting his cab to the side, a mischievous smile on his face.

" What," Lightning was taken aback, calming down. " No. No, of course not. Mater, I wouldn't challenge you to something you might get injured doing. That's why I've been playing Mario Kart 57 with you. You get to race me, just not on the real track."

" Then race me again on Mario Kart 57," Mater challenged, raising his windshield up and down. " Or are you scared?"

" Fine," Lightning groaned as he rolled his eyes then raised his voice. " Fine. One more round then we'll play whatever I want to play next. Got it?"

" Got it," Mater agreed, nodding. " Oh, word of advice, McQueen. If you want to win at Mario Kart 57, you gotta be dirty, like that Hicks feller you used to race."

" Mater, I'm not going to do that," Lightning countered, shaking his front-end. " I'd rather lose with my dignity than cheat."

Mater tossed his cab back, laughing.

" It ain't cheatin', Buddy," he tweeted. " It's all part of the game. There ain't no rules against it. That's what makes it fun."

" Hey, you know what," Lightning smirked. " I think I would like to challenge you. How about we both play this round without getting dirty? Make it a clean race for once. That's right, Mater. I want you to race like a true professional racecar does. Absolutely no cheating."

" You ain't no fun," Mater scoffed, looking down then back up. " Okay. Just this once, for you."

" Great," Lightning cheered.

The two friends grabbed their controllers then began another round, both grinning.


	5. Sorry, Wrong Number

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Sorry, Wrong Number**

Lightning was in his trailer, texting on his phone.

" And send," he muttered to himself as he hit the send button.

There was a knock on the side of his trailer.

" Hey, Lightning," Mack called. " The racers are being called to the track."

" Coming," Lightning chimed then opened the door, heading out.

Meanwhile, at the pits, Doc, Ramone, Sheriff, Sarge, Fillmore, Luigi, and Guido were chatting amongst themselves. Doc's phone pinged. He picked it up.

" Now, who could that be," Doc asked himself as he looked at the screen.

It was a text message from Lightning. Doc raised a windshield as he read it.

" Hey, Babe," the message read. " Thought I would let you know we made it to the track safely. I will call you after the race is over and when you're awake. Love ya! Stickers XOXOXO K33333."

" Who is it, Doc," Ramone asked.

" Lightning," Doc replied. " The message is for Sally, though. Must've selected the wrong contact. Better let him know."

" You, too," Sheriff widened his eyes.

" Yeah, check it out," Doc showed the group the message.

" At least this one is clean, unlike the one I got," Ramone stated. " He sent me a picture of his production code. Who does that, Man?"

" He sent me a text with so much vulgarity, I deleted it and pretended I never saw it," Sheriff shivered. " I let him know about it, of course. The boy wouldn't look me in the eye for days."

" He avoided me for three weeks," Ramone chuckled. " Man, was he embarrassed."

" He texted me a picture of a giant doily," Fillmore added. " It was beautiful."

" That wasn't a doily," Sarge whispered to him.

" Looks like I got lucky," Doc uttered, waving his phone in the air. " However, I'm not going to let him off the hook."

" What are you going to do, Doc," Sheriff asked.

" Mess with him," Doc retorted, looking at the screen. " Teach him a lesson."

Doc started texting back, smirking.

Lightning pulled his phone out after the race was over. He had two missed calls, two voice messages, and a text message. He checked his voicemail, first.

" Hey, Stickers," Sally's voice rang. " I'm getting kinda worried. You never texted me. Did you make it to the track? Please, call me as soon as you can. Love ya!"

The first voice message ended. Lightning had a confused expression on his face then checked the second voice message.

" Hey, Stickers," Sally's voice chimed, again. " I can see you on the TV. Guess you just forgot, huh? Please, call me back after the race. Love ya!"

The second voice message ended. Lightning was even more confused. He proceeded to read the text message.

" Okay, Stickers," the reply read. " I'll be waiting. Love ya! Doc XOXOXO K33333. PS: Next time, make sure you select the right contact before hitting send, Hotrod. That reminds me. You and I are going to have a little talk regarding the messages you sent to Ramone, Sheriff, and Fillmore."

Lightning blushed, eyes bulging. In the not too far distance, he could hear his team laughing.


	6. Happy Anniversary

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Happy Anniversary**

It was early morning in Radiator Springs. Everybody was still asleep, waiting for their alarm clocks to wake them. Ramone and Flo's clock was the first to buzz. The Impala shut off the alarm then looked over at his sleeping wife, smiling. He pecked her on the fender. Flo opened her eyes, blinking them.

" Morning," Ramone chimed.

" Morning," Flo chirped with a yawn. " Ready for another busy day?"

" You know I am," Ramone uttered then opened the garage door, letting in blinding sunlight.

The two exited their home then began driving to work. As soon as they reached their destination, Ramone stopped and turned to her.

" Hey, Flo," Ramone began.

" Yeah, Baby," Flo turned to him.

" Nevermind," Ramone dismissed. " See you after work."

" You, too," Flo chimed then pulled into the café.

The Impala lowered his frontend, letting out a sigh.

" Maybe she'll remember by the end of the day," he thought then pulled into his body art shop.

Ramone was glaring nowhere in particular, lost in a sea of thoughts. He let out an exasperated sigh.

" I can't believe her," he bitterly thought to himself. " I can't believe she forgot, again."

" Ramone," a voice called out to him. " Ramone?"

He snapped out of his thoughts then widened his eyes. Lightning was looking at him, windshield raised.

" I believe I asked for a dark cherry red," Lightning pointed to his hood. " Not black."

" Oh, sorry, Man," Ramone apologized, frantically. " Here. Let me get that cleaned off."

He pulled a lever, which activated the booth's carwash station. It rinsed the fresh paint off the racecar.

" Are you okay," Lightning asked. " You seem out of it."

" Yeah, Man," Ramone fibbed. " I'm fine. Just tired."

" If you say so," he rolled his eyes.

Ramone pressed his tires against his doors. He closed his eyes then let out a groan.

" It's Flo," the Impala shouted. " She forgot our anniversary, again."

" Well, the town has been getting swamped with tourists the past couple of years," Lightning stated. " Probably been so busy she lost track of time."

" Oh, it has nothing to do with that," Ramone dismissed. " It is like this every year. Did you know we've been married for 45 years? You would think she would remember by now. And before you say anything, yes she writes it down, but still forgets anyway. It's like she doesn't even care."

" And this is bothering you now because," Lightning was getting uncomfortable.

" Nevermind," Ramone shrugged it off. " I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry, Lightning."

" Hey, it's okay," Lightning tweeted, placing one of his tires against his. " We're friends here…Why don't you get her a PDA as a present? That's how I keep track of important dates."

" Lightning, she's terrible with technology and I'm even worse," Ramone turned the idea down. " I'm afraid a PDA is out of the question."

" Oh," Lightning replied.

" Yeah," Ramone stated. " Anyway, you asked for a dark cherry red, right?"

Soon, it was closing time. The couple met at their shared home. Flo pulled into the garage, first. Ramone lingered.

" You coming inside or what," the Motorama asked.

" I'll join you in a bit," Ramone uttered. " I could use some fresh air."

" Okay," Flo chimed. " Don't stay out there too long. The ghost light will getcha."

Flo turned out the light, going to bed. Ramone let out an exasperated sigh. It was official. She had forgotten another wedding anniversary.

The next morning, the couple woke up for another day of work. Ramone had an exhausted expression on his face, trying to stay focused on the road in front of him. Flo was humming, cheerfully. Her mood dropped once she got a good look at her husband.

" You alright, Sugar," she asked.

" Fine," Ramone lied. " I'm fine, except…Flo, do you remember what yesterday was?"

" Tuesday," Flo guessed and Ramone stared at her. " Your manufacturing day? No, that was last week. I got it! It is the anniversary of your body art shop."

Ramone slammed on his brakes then turned to her.

" You really don't remember, do you," he spat then pulled into the body art shop, slamming the door behind him.

" Now, what in the world has gotten into him," Flo raised a windshield then headed into the café.

Soon, evening rolled around. Everybody in the group joined at the café for dinner, except for Ramone. He was still in his shop. Flo kept glancing at the building, worry settling in her tank.

" Flo," Sally asked. " Are you okay?"

" I'm worried about Ramone," Flo retorted. " He woke up on the wrong side of the garage this morning and now he's not eating dinner."

" Maybe he's with a client with extremely elaborate tastes," Sally shrugged.

" No, the closed sign is up," Flo shook her hood. " The lights are still on, though. Must be experimenting with new designs."

" You know," Sally began. " Stickers said something about him acting strange yesterday, too. He asked for a dark cherry red and he almost painted him black."

" Did Ramone say anything to him," Flo questioned.

" No, I don't think so," Sally answered.

" Say what to who," Lightning parked next to Sally, sporting his new paint job.

" Did Ramone say anything to you yesterday," Sally turned to him.

" He said some things," Lightning retorted. " I promised I wouldn't tell, though."

Flo glared at the building with determination then drove over to it. As soon as she reached the door, she knocked on it.

" Ramone, it's time for dinner," Flo hollered.

" Coming," Ramone groaned then opened the door.

He was coated in paint. As Flo suspected, he was experimenting with new designs. Ramone pulled out of the building, locking it up.

" Are you sure you're okay," Flo questioned as they made their way over to the others. " You've been acting really strange lately."

" Seriously, you still haven't figured it out, yet," Ramone snapped, tears brimming at the bottom of his windshield.

" Figured what out," Flo was both confused and concerned.

" Nevermind," Ramone sighed, pulling into the café. " It's not like it's important or anything."

" Ramone, what the heck is with you," Flo grabbed him by one of his tires, pulling him back.

" What has gotten into me," he anger rising up. " You forgot our anniversary, again. This is the 45th year in a row."

" I did," Flo felt guilt rising in her. " Oh, Baby. Why didn't you say something?"

" I wanted to see if you would remember for once," Ramone grunted. " I'm always the one wishing you a happy anniversary, first. It would be nice if you did the same for me every once in a while. Make me feel like you care as much as I do."

" Oh, Baby," Flo placed a tire on his fender. " Of course I care. I'm just not good at keeping track of the calendar, is all. Can't tell you how many times my manufacturing day passed before I even realized it. Still, that's no excuse for forgetting the one day I share with the man I love and I promise to make it up to you in any way I can."

" Here," Ramone gave Flo a PDA. " Now you have no excuse…It was Lightning's idea."


	7. Sleep Driving Mack

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Sleep Driving Mack**

Mack was parked at a truck stop, sleeping. Doc and Lightning were inside the trailer, still awake. The older car had a piece of paper in front of him, writing on it. Lightning leaned forward, trying to read upside down.

" What's that," he asked.

Doc paused and looked up.

" I'm writing a letter to an old pal of mine," he replied then continued writing.

" Really," Lightning raised a windshield. " Who?"

" None of your business, Hotrod," Doc replied as he glared at him then looked back down at the paper.

" Can I read it," Lightning questioned.

" That depends," Doc raised a windshield as he glanced back up. " Can I read your text messages?"

" No," Lightning widened his eyes and blushed, shaking his hood.

" Then no," Doc retorted, sternly.

Lightning yawned then glimpsed at the clock. Doc followed his gaze. It was ten o'clock at night.

" We better get some shut eye," he suggested as he put his pen and letter away. " It's getting late."

" Says the old grandpa car who usually passes out at seven," Lightning snarkily implied.

" Hey, I'm on Eastern Standard Time," Doc sniffed. " It just looks like a go to bed super early, but I really don't."

" After living in Arizona for over fifty years," Lightning chuckled, smirking. " I don't buy that, Doc."

The red car let out another yawn.

" You know, one would think a youngster like you would still be bouncing off the walls at this hour, but you're not," Doc joked, grinning knowingly. " I wonder why that is?"

" Oh, door ding me," Lightning scoffed. " You're not going to let what happened with those text messages go, are you?"

" Nope," Doc responded. " Consider it a strong reminder to keep that part of your love life away from walls that have eyes and ears."

" Yeah, I get it," Lightning groaned, annoyed. " I get it. Explicit text messages are bad. Yata. Yata. Yata. The paparazzi will use them against me by showing them to the public. Yata. Yata. It's unprofessional. Yata. Yata. Yata. Save it for when I'm face-to-face with Sally and behind closed doors. Yata. Yata. Yata. Yata. Oh! And you hope we are using protection. Yata. Yata. And by protection, you don't mean duck tape. Yata. Yata. Yata. Lesson learned...I'm going to bed now. Night, Doc."

Lightning forcefully closed his eyes. The older car chuckled.

" Night, Kiddo," Doc uttered.

He turned off the lights then followed suit. Soon, Lightning woke to the sound of a diesel engine firing up. Next, the trailer started rattling. The racecar looked at the clock. It was one in the morning.

" Not again," he mumbled then pulled up to Doc, shaking him. " Doc…"

Doc continued sleeping. Lightning nudged him, again.

" Doc," he raised his voice a bit.

" W-what," Doc stirred, slightly irritated.

" Don't freak out, but Mack is sorta sleep driving," Lightning explained, wincing.

" What," Doc yelped, fully awake.

" It's okay," Lightning stated, calmly. " He's done this before. I know exactly how to wake him, but we need to leave the trailer, first."

" What," Doc yelled, widening his eyes. " Kid, are you out of your…"

Lightning hit the button that opened the trailer door. The door opened, screeching and sparking as it hit the asphalt.

" Age before beauty," Lightning shouted over the noise as he shoved Doc out of the trailer.

Lightning followed suit, the door closing behind him. The two cars stopped in the middle of the road. Doc glared at Lightning.

" Okay, we're out of the trailer," he stated, grumpily. " Now what?"

" Now we chase him down and shout at him until he wakes up," Lightning shrugged. " Worked last time."

" What," Doc balked. " Lightning, that's dangerous."

" Do you have a better idea," Lightning challenged.

" Yeah, it's called we should've stayed in the trailer until Mack pulled over and woke up by himself," Doc griped.

" Well, it's too late for that," Lightning stated then turned around. " Now, come on. Mack is getting away."

Lightning sped off. Doc groaned then followed.

" That boy is going to be the death of me," he muttered to himself.

A couple of miles ahead, Mack gave his blinker, pulling onto the interstate. Doc and Lightning followed, both slamming on their gas pedals. Lightning caught up to Mack, while Doc lingered behind.

" Mack," he shouted as loud as he could. " Mack. Mack, wake up."

Mack started switching lanes. Lightning gunned it, trying to stay in front of the semi. He then switched to the empty lane, letting Mack catch up to him.

" Mack, come on," Lightning hollered.

Mack started speeding up then switched lanes again.

" Lightning, watch out," Doc shouted, fear in his voice.

The red car gasped, slamming on his brakes. His trailer was mere inches away from colliding with him. He stopped in the middle of the road, a shocked look on his face. Mack then turned off the interstate and into a nearby town. Doc stopped next to Lightning.

" You alright," Doc asked and Lightning nodded.

" Yeah," Lightning replied, shakily. " Yeah, I think so."

" Good," Doc retorted then shouted at him. " You almost got yourself killed. What were you thinking?"

" Um," Lightning stated, nervously. " It was the best idea I had at the time."

The old car sighed and shook his hood.

" My turn," Doc murmured then sped off.

Lightning followed. It took them a minute to catch up to Mack. Once they caught up, Doc began honking his horn. Mack stirred a bit.

" Huh," he hummed then Doc honked his horn again.

" Come on," Doc muttered as he continued to honk his horn. " Come on."

Next, the group started going up a mountain with windy roads. Lightning drove up next to Doc, revving his engine as loud as he could without blowing a head gasket, but it was no use. The semi still did not hear them. Soon, Mack started heading toward a cliff. Doc fretfully slammed on his horn as Lightning revved frantically.

" Huh," Mack opened his eyes then widened them upon seeing the cliff.

He gasped then slammed on his brakes, colliding with the guardrail. The semi grinded up against it until he came to a stop. Mack looked around, confused.

" Mack, are you alright," Lightning questioned as he raced over to the truck.

" Yeah, I think so," Mack winced as he continued scanning the area. " How did I get here?"

" You were sleep driving," Doc answered as he pulled up next to Lightning.

" Again," Mack's eyes bulged.

" Again," Lightning retorted with a sigh.

" Oh," Mack blushed, grinning sheepishly. " Sorry."

" It's okay, Mack," Lightning uttered. " You can't help it."

Mack took a closer look at the damage. There were huge chunks of metal missing on both him and the trailer.

" I am so fired," he muttered to himself.


	8. Combat Training with Sarge

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Combat Training with Sarge**

Sarge swung a left hook, grunting. Lightning blocked it then threw a right jab, growling. The military vehicle blocked it then kicked one of his back tires at the race car. Lightning jumped, dodging it. He smirked then punched across, chuckling. Without hesitation, Sarge latched onto his front axle then threw him over his hood. Lightning landed on his cab, hard.

" Ow," he mumbled, hissing in pain.

The veteran leaned over him, looking him in the eye.

" And the fan girls just dragged you into their cave," Sarge spat.

Lightning heard giggles from the group. All of the residents were gathered outside of Sarge's place, watching the two practice. Lightning rolled back onto his tires, eyes spinning. He shook his hood until the dizziness went away.

" Now, again," Sarge commanded. " And don't get cocky this time. This isn't the race track. You're on my turf. Remember that."

They both got back into position. Lightning threw the first punch. Sarge ducked, a bored expression on his face. He threw another punch, which Sarge dodged. Lightning groaned with irritation then began throwing a series of punches and kicks, shouting. Sarge managed to dart away from all of Lightning's blows. Suddenly, Lightning found himself back on his cab.

" Ooof," he yelped, the world spinning around him once more.

" Don't attack your opponent in anger, either," Sarge retorted, sternly. " They will use it against you. Now, again."

Lightning moaned then got back onto his tires, rubbing the top of his cab.

" Can we take a break, please," Lightning requested. " We've been at this for two hours now."

" There are no breaks in battle, Boy," Sarge bellowed. " Now, do it again. Remember, concentrate, don't get angry, and pay attention to where your opponent's tires are going."

" Right," Lightning sighed then got back into fighting position.

The two continued battling each other until Sarge sent Lightning flying toward the crowd. Everybody in the crowd widened their eyes as they hastily moved out of the way. Lightning landed on his undercarriage, his jaw scraping against the dirt. He glared, stood up then turned around. Lightning jumped toward Sarge, throwing in several punches. Sarge retaliated with combinations. The group watched with anticipation, except for Sally, Mack, and Red. Sally had her front tires over her grill, eyes bulged.

" Be careful, Stickers," she muttered to herself, trying not to panic.

Mack was staring, fear evident in his eyes.

" Haven't seen the kid like this since that sale on stickers at the racers' convention," Mack commented, earning strange glances from the residents. " Fifty stickers for twenty five cents. This was back when he was first starting out. All he had back then was five bucks."

Red kept closing and opening his eyes, wincing every time one of the cars hit the other. Soon, Lightning spotted an opening. He dove underneath the military vehicle, tipping him over onto his cab. Lightning backed away, grinning in satisfaction. The group gasped in shock. Sarge glared at the race car then flipped himself back over. He drove over to Lightning, not dropping his scowl. Lightning's smile dropped. He widened his eyes as realization donned on him at what he had just done.

" Sorry," Lightning apologized, stuttering. " I-I didn't mean to. I-I just reacted.I-I…"

Sarge let out a gusty laugh, smiling. Lightning raised a windshield, confused.

" Now that's what I call combat," Sarge commented then punched Lightning on the fender, hard. " Good work, Soldier."

" Thanks," Lightning chuckled nervously then muttered as the pain in his fender set in. " Ow…"

" Now, let's see if you can do it again," Sarge chimed.


	9. Lose the Bet, Pay the Debt

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Lose the Bet, Pay the Debt**

A young Doc was parked outside of Louise's garage, staring at the door. He could not believe he agreed to this. The Hornet should have known better than to make that bet. He knew she was going to do whatever it took to win, but his pride got in the way. Now, he regretted it. Doc sighed in defeat then knocked on the door. Louise answered it, sporting a cocky smirk. Her paint was a sparkling pink, free of decals.

" Now, this doesn't mean anything," Doc stated, firmly. " We're doing this as friends only."

" We'll see about that," Louise teased then scanned the Hornet, raising a windshield. " Your racing paint? Really?"

" I didn't have time to stop by the body art shop," Doc defended then pointed a tire at her. " You were the one who wanted to do this tonight."

Louise let out a frustrated groan, followed by a shudder. She drove passed him.

" Let's get to the restaurant before we lose our table," she muttered, sourly.

Doc chuckled then followed her. Soon, they arrived at the restaurant, which was a couple of towns away from Thomasville. The waitress showed them to their table. Louise went to park next to Doc, but he drove over to the opposite side.

" Uh-uh," he shook a tire and his hood, glaring. " We're doing this as just friends. Remember?"

" Oh, but Hud," Louise pouted, feigning sadness. " You promised you would let me do whatever I wanted to do tonight."

" I promised I would take you out to eat at a nice restaurant," Doc responded, sternly. " Nothing more."

" Eh, was worth a shot," Louise shrugged casually, grinning.

They picked up their menus, reading them. Louise smirked then started tapping one of her tires against Doc's. Doc recoiled then looked up, giving her a suspicious glance. He went back to reading the menu. Louise glanced up, giggling. Doc gave her a serious look then continued doing what he was doing. Soon, the waitress came back, took their orders then drove into the kitchen. Doc watched the waitress leave then turned to Louise. She was staring at him, a dreamy look in her eyes. Doc awkwardly looked away, trying to avoid eye contact. Louise leaned toward him.

" Did anyone ever tell you that you have the most beautiful blue eyes," she asked flirtatiously. " And that grill. I love men with grills. It makes them look robust."

Doc flinched, blushing. Louise snickered then looked him over.

" And that curvy frame of yours is to die for," she continued. " Been working out?"

" I try to stay in top form for the races," Doc stammered, still not looking at her.

" Mhmm," Louise nodded, biting her lip. " Mind if I feel your fenders?"

" I hope you mean where my front tires are," Doc hastily looked up at her, nervous about the answer.

" Of course," Louise stated innocently. " Which fenders did you think I was talking about?"

A half hour later, the waitress came back with their meals. The two ate in silence. However, Louise continued tapping Doc with her tire. Doc sighed, closing his eyes. He recoiled once more. Louise chuckled. When they were done eating, he requested the bill. While they were waiting on the bill, Doc stared at the table. Unfortunately for him, he could feel Louise's gaze on him.

" You're such a gentleman, you know that, Hud," Louise complimented. " The previous men I went on dates with saddled me with the bill or ditched me as soon as they were done eating."

Doc glanced up at her, a look of sympathy in his eyes. Louise had a downcast expression.

" I'm sorry to hear that," he said, sincerely.

The waitress came back with the bill. Doc paid the bill, leaving a tip in the process. Next, the race cars headed back to Thomasville. Soon, they arrived back at Louise's garage. The pink car stopped in front of the door, turning around to face the blue car. She was staring at him, again.

" What," Doc questioned, raising a windshield

" You know, it's custom to kiss your date after you drop her off at home, otherwise you're just being rude," Louise chimed.

" Lou, I'm not doing that," Doc rejected, shaking his hood. " The last thing I want to do is lead you on. How about a hug, instead?"

" I'll take what I can get," Louise tweeted, shrugging.

They hugged then backed away. Doc turned around, leaving. Louise went inside, but kept the door open.

" See you tomorrow, Hud," she hollered as she waved at him then formed a megaphone around her mouth with her tire. " Oh. As far as next week's race goes, loser goes on another date with the winner."

Doc stomped on his brakes, not turning around. Louise put a tire over her mouth, giggling. He continued driving away, shaking his front end.

" Good Ford, junk me now," he whispered under his breath.


	10. The House Guest That is Guido

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **The House Guest That is Guido**

It was a quiet morning in Radiator Springs. The group was gathered at Flo's, gassing up and getting oil for the day.

" What a beautiful day," Flo chimed, while waiting fuel pumps. " Not a cloud in the sky."

" I'll say," Sally tweeted then turned to Lightning. " Hey, Stickers. Want to go for a drive today?"

" I don't have practice for a few more hours, so sure," Lightning chirped.

" Looks like a good day for tractor tipping," Mater uttered, grinning widely. " Think I'll go do that."

" Don't even think about it, Mater," Sheriff snapped, glaring at the tow truck. " The last time you did that, Doc had to replace my head gasket."

" Yeah, that was fun," Doc grunted sarcastically.

" No, Guido," Luigi yelled, causing the group to turn to them. " Your mother is a Yugo."

Guido argued something back in Italian. Luigi widened his eyes and gasped.

" You take that back," Luigi hollered, narrowing his eyes.

" No," Guido barked.

" Take it back," Luigi screamed.

Guido turned away, crossing his forklifts.

" Fine," Luigi spat. " Have it your way. Because of this, I am giving you the boot. Find another place to stay. You may still work with me, but you can not live with me."

Guido widened his eyes, turned then rebutted.

" Well, I just did," Luigi retorted then stormed off to the _Casa Della Tires_.

Guido glared at him, pouting. He waited a minute then followed him. The group continued watching them until they were out of sight.

" What was that all about," Flo questioned.

" Whatever it is, looks like it was bad enough for Luigi to kick Guido out," Ramone commented.

" Eh, I'm sure they'll work it out," Mater stated, optimistically. " They're best buddies, like me and McQueen. We argue sometimes, but by the end of the day, we forgive each other."

" Except for that one time where you did something that made me so mad, I did not speak to you for three whole days," Lightning added.

" But you still forgave me," Mater beamed, wagging his tow cable.

" True," Lightning agreed. " Still haven't forgotten, though."

" So, who wants to take Guido in for the night," Sally asked.

" I'll do it," Mater raised a tire up in the air, enthusiastically. " Me. Me. Me. Me."

" Okay, Mater," Sally uttered. " Guido can bunk with you tonight."

" Yes," Mater chimed as he leaped up and down. " He's going to love my place. We're going to have so much fun."

Hours later, it was nighttime. Everybody went home, except for Mater. He was outside of the tire shop, waiting for Guido to finish packing. Soon, Guido pulled out of the shop with a suitcase and turned around. Luigi was parked at the entrance, a sour expression on his face. The coupe closed the door, locking it. Guido turned to Mater, who gave him a soft smile. They headed over to the salvage yard. Once they reached the salvage yard, Mater gave the grand tour.

" That there is where the tv sits," Mater pointed to the tv then pointed to one of the carports. " That there is where I will be sleeping and right there is where you will be sleeping. My buddy, McQueen, usually stays in the spare carport during our sleepovers, but you can have it tonight because he ain't here. Well, goodnight."

Mater parked under his carport, falling asleep instantly. Guido, on the other tire, stood in the middle of the yard, wide awake. He glanced around the tow truck's home. There were random car parts everywhere. He had radiators, engines, mufflers, head and taillights, tailgates, distributer caps, fan belts, carburetors, and more. Guido cringed, shuddering. He had been to Mater's home before, but did not realize how creepy it was until now. Suddenly, Guido heard a noise. He jumped then turned around. It was just the wind, knocking over an empty oil can. Guido sighed then jumped again, hearing a voice.

" Get out," it whispered, demonically. " Get out now."

Guido shrieked then raced over to Mater's carport, but he was not there. He started panicking.

" Too late for your friend," the voice started talking louder. " I already have him."

Guido went to go get help, but the gate was locked. He turned around, backing up as far as he could.

" And now it is your turn," the voice continued.

A light appeared, followed by a maniacal laugh. Guido screamed as the beam got closer to him. He turned around, yanking at the gate. Soon, the maniacal laugh turned into a familiar one.

" You shoulda seen the look on your face," Mater chuckled.

Guido turned around, facing him. He glared, but Mater kept laughing.

" It was all," Mater imitated Guido's facial expression.

Guido rolled his eyes then headed to the guest carport. Mater was still parked at the entrance, chuckling up a storm.

" Just as funny as the time I did it to McQueen," he snickered, wiping a tear off of his windshield.

Guido tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately, he was still wound up from Mater's prank. Soon, a grin crept up on Guido's grill. He looked over at the other carport. Mater was fast asleep. Guido took the opportunity to sneak out of the salvage yard. The next morning, the tow truck woke up to the sound of mooing.

" Huh," he mumbled then looked around, widening his eyes." Whoa!"

A bunch of tractors were parked in his yard. Some of them were grazing on the grass, others were chewing on car parts, a couple of them were gnawing on the guest carport, and one of them was watching the tv.

" I must've went tractor tipping while I was sleeping," Mater said to himself.

" Mater," Sheriff bellowed as he approached the tow truck. " What is the meaning of this?"

" Having a sleepover with Guido and the tractors, I think," Mater uttered then looked around, confused. " Where's Guido?"

" He's over at Lightning and Sally's place," Sheriff replied. " Guess he had trouble sleeping over here. Mater, what did you do?"

" Nothing," Mater answered, shrugging. " I just pulled a harmless prank is all."

Sheriff rolled his eyes, sighing.

" What," Mater raised a windshield.

" Boy, you have no idea what you just started," Sheriff lowered his voice, glaring.


	11. Red's Inner Voice

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Red's Inner Voice**

I am not shy, I am not a mute, and my name is not Red. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Ralph Ranft. Who am I, you ask? Why, don't you recognize me? I am that red fire truck who sits in the background, watering flowers all day…Or at least that's what you think. There is more to me than just flowers and being quiet all the time. Let me start from the beginning. I was manufactured in Pasadena, California by a firetruck company. Both of my parents were thrilled when the box containing me arrived on their front doorstep, especially after waiting for several months. They could not be any happier to have me in their lives and I couldn't be any happier to have them in mine. All was right in the world. However, there was one small problem. They wanted me to be a fire truck, like them. I wanted to become a mime. I have been practicing to be one for years, in fact. Convincing, no? I had you fooled for a while there, yes? My parents never approved. They told me I was wasting my time playing _Make Believe_ when I could be out saving lives. Yeah, fire and I just don't mix. It has always frightened me, to be honest. I know. A fire truck who is scared of fire? What is up with that? Well, as I got older, I decided to face my fears and try my tire at firefighting, at least until my miming career took off. What a terrible mistake it was. It was my first day on the job and all I could do was freeze as a building burned to the ground...I was fired immediately, by my own father. Yes, he was the fire chief. Embarrassed, I decided to leave Pasadena on a soul searching trip, to figure out my life…Maybe go to Florida or possibly New York. See if I could get my miming career off the ground at those places. I…Uh…Got a little lost along the way. I found myself in the middle of a desert. It was a nightmare to navigate, not to mention it was scary at night time. So many vehicles have disappeared crossing the desert at night, especially motorcycles. There were no towns or gas stations for miles, not even a hotel. I had no choice but to continue driving. About an hour later, I came across, you guessed, the town of Radiator Springs. Sheriff was the first one to greet me, followed by Mater and the rest of the town's folk. Everyone was so nice to me. They showed me the town, invited me to their game night, fed me, and gave me a place to stay. I had never seen so much history, so much hospitality, and so much beauty in one place. I just had to stay there for a more few days. It wasn't like I was in a hurry or anything, so why not. Well, those few days became a few months and those few months became a few years. Yep, I wound up moving there, but you already knew that. What did I do for work, you ask? I opened up a flower shop. What about my dream of becoming a mime? I am already living it. It is more of a full-time hobby, though. What about my parents? I still talk and visit with them from time to time. Yes, they apologized to me and I, in return, have forgiven them. What? Did you think that I never spoke to them again? That I shut them out of my life forever? They're not monsters, you silly humans. They were just doing what they thought was best for me. It was an honest mistake. Well, now you know my story. Uh-oh. I better go. My friends are giving me weird looks and whispering to each other.


	12. Tell the Tooth

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Tell the Tooth**

Lightning and Sally were parked next to each other at _Flo's V8 Café_ , talking while waiting for their oil.

" Oh, come on, Sal," Lightning chimed, holding up a travel brochure. " This would be the perfect place to spend your manufacturing day."

" I don't know, Stickers," Sally sighed, pulling it out of his tire. " It is so far away from here. What if something comes up at the _Cozy Cone_ or _Wheel Well_?"

" Already taken care of," Lightning uttered. " Sarge will be taking over while we're away."

" Stickers, I appreciate this," Sally stated, setting the brochure down. " Really, I do. But I'd rather spend my manufacturing day here. Go out to dinner, go dancing, and then end the day with a late night drive through Ornament Valley."

" Didn't we do that last year," Lightning smirked, tilting his cab.

" We did and I would love to do it again this year," Sally tweeted then kissed Lightning on the fender. " Okay?"

" Okay," Lightning chuckled.

" Orders up," Flo announced as she served the couple.

" Thanks, Flo," the couple answered in unison.

" You're welcome," Flo chimed then headed over to the next fuel pump.

Lightning began sipping on his can of oil. Sally took a moment to position the straw, before drinking hers. She winced, blinking her eyes rapidly. Lightning noticed this.

" You alright," he asked, concerned.

" Yeah, it's just really cold, is all," Sally chuckled, nervously. " Wasn't expecting it."

" You always order your oil with coolant in it," Lightning stated, raising a windshield.

" I do," Sally asked then uttered, shaking her hood. " I never noticed."

Lightning went back to his can of oil, eyeing Sally. Sally tried to go back to hers, but yelped as soon as the liquid touched her lips. She put a tire up to her mouth, cringing.

" Aha," Lightning announced then pointed at her as he set his drink down. " You have a toothache."

" No, I don't," Sally shook her hood rapidly. " My teeth are just really sensitive, is all."

" Sal, we've been dating for well over a year," Lightning stated. " I can tell when something is bothering you…Come on. We better get you to the dentist. Have them check you out."

The red race car went to leave.

" No, no," Sally blurted out hastily, waving a tire in front of him. " That won't be necessary."

" Are you sure," Lightning raised a windshield, parking himself.

" Yes, I'm sure," Sally retorted, trying to calm herself.

" Okay," Lightning rolled his eyes.

They both went back to their drinks. Sally flinched, letting out a squeak. Lightning looked back up at her. She grinned at him.

" The straw poked my gum," Sally gestured to the straw.

Lightning glared at her then let out a sigh, softening his expression.

" Sally, I love you, but don't hide stuff like this from me," he stated, sternly.

" Hide what," Sally chuckled, nervously. " I'm not hiding anything. What makes you think I'm hiding anything? Hey, aren't you late for practice?"

" Today's my day off," Lightning retorted, bluntly.

" Really," Sally uttered, taken aback. " I could've sworn you had practice…"

" Don't change the subject," Lightning cut her off then realization donned on him. " Sal, are you afraid of the dentist?"

" No, of course not," Sally retorted, earning a windshield raise from Lightning.

" Then why are you making such a big deal out of this, if you're not," he questioned.

" I'm not making a big deal out of this," Sally argued. " You're making a big deal out of this. My teeth are just a little sensitive, is all. No big deal."

" Then I guess you won't mind if I kiss you then," Lightning suggested, grinning.

A nervous glint appeared in Sally's eyes. Lightning spotted it.

" Lightning, you're my boyfriend," Sally uttered. " Of course I won't mind if you kiss me. In fact, I'll let you do it right now, if it means getting you off my rear bumper."

" Okay, pucker up, because here I come," Lightning chimed then began leaning in.

His lips barely touched hers when she pulled away, cringing in pain. Lightning opened his eyes, a deadpan look on his face. His suspicions were confirmed.

" Sally, Baby, you have a toothache," Lightning stated, firmly. " You're going to the dentist, no ifs, ands or buts."

" Awww," Sally groaned as she rubbed her sore tooth.

The next day, Sally and Lightning drove to Flagstaff to see the dentist. Sally yelped as the dentist yanked out the tooth that was bothering her. She set it down on the tray.

" Whew," the dentist stated. " That one was a nasty one. Must've been rotting for months. Had you come sooner, I probably could've saved it."

" How you feeling, Sal," Lightning turned to Sally.

" Meh mow eh nuhh," the blue Porsche mumbled. " Buh I feeh behher now."

" I did not understand a single word of that," Lightning shook his hood. " So, I'm going to assume you're doing good."

" Yeh know meh so wehh, Sickahs," Sally garbled out. " Sowwy abow yeherday."

" Eh, don't worry about it," Lightning stated then pulled out a handmade travel brochure with Willie's Butte crudely drawn on the front. " So, where were we? Oh, yes. Dinner, dancing, and a late night drive through Ornament Valley."


	13. Messes and Movies

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Messes and Movies  
**

It was noon. Doc locked up the clinic for the day then drove over to his garage. He widened his eyes and ducked as an empty oil can came shooting out of his home, followed by a pair of wire clippers and a saw blade.

" Lightning," Doc shouted then dodged another string of debris. " Lightning, what are you doing?"

" Cleaning out your garage," Lightning retorted as he dug through a box.

" Oh, come on now," Doc grunted, approaching his protégé. " It's not that…"

Lightning turned around, holding up a rotten banana peel with a deadpan expression on his grill. His mentor shifted, uncomfortably.

" I missed the trash can," Doc replied, sheepishly." Sue me."

The race car sighed then threw the banana peel into the trash can.

" Seriously, Doc," Lightning stated. " I love coming here. I do, but your place is…And don't take offense to this…a pig sty."

" Who do you think you are," Doc quipped, raising his front tires. " My mother?"

" No, but it is embarrassing that my living space is clean and yours isn't," Lightning quipped back then turned back around. " Just because you're a bachelor, doesn't mean you have to be stereotypical about it."

" That's not true," Doc defended. " My clinic is spotless."

" That's the clinic, not your actual living space," Lightning turned again, holding up a pair of torn underwear, eyes widened. " What the…I don't even want to know."

He tossed the underwear into the trash can then moved onto the next area, which contained mementos of Doc's glory days. Lightning held up one of Doc's trophies. It was coated in dust and had cobwebs on the inside.

" You know, these should be put on display," he uttered, inspecting it. " After they've been dusted and wiped down, of course. When was the last time you cleaned these things?"

" The day before my big wreck," Doc retorted, bluntly. " Nothing a little spit, a rag, and some sand paper can't fix."

" You spit shine your trophies," Lightning turned to Doc, a disgusted look on his face.

" Yes," Doc replied, nodding.

" Eeeeewww," Lightning commented.

The red car felt something tickle his tire. He turned back around. His eyes bulged. On top of his tire was a spider. He screamed, dropping the trophy.

" A spider," Lightning yelled, waving his tire in the air. " Get it off of me. Get it off of me. Get it off of me."

" I would, but it would be more amusing just to park here and watch you," Doc chuckled out, smirking.

" That's not funny, Doc," Lightning cried then let out a blood curdling scream, dancing. " It's on top of my cab."

Doc rolled his eyes then drove over to Lightning. He tried scanning for the spider, but it was difficult because Lightning would not hold still. Eventually, he spotted it. The blue car grabbed it.

" Got it," Doc uttered then took a closer look at it. " It's just a Daddy Long Leg."

" I don't care what kind of spider it is," Lightning pointed at it, voice shaking. " A spider is a spider is a spider. There ain't no difference to me."

Doc pulled up to a corner, setting the spider loose.

" What are you doing," Lightning's eyes bulged.

" Keeping it," Doc replied. " It'll keep the Black Widows and Brown Recluses away."

Lightning shivered. Doc pulled over to Lightning, raising a windshield.

" What," Lightning asked, nervously.

The older car shook his hood then drove passed him. Lightning let out another scream.

" A rat," he hollered then grabbed a broom.

He went to swing at it, but Doc yanked the broom out of his tire.

" That would be my pet," Doc set the broom down then picked up the rat. " He must've got out of his cage, again. Little renegade."

He drove over to a nearby cage and opened it. Doc put the rat inside then closed the gate.

" There you go, Chester," he uttered, smiling. " Home sweet home."

" You have a pet rat," Lightning asked, incredulously. " Doc, you do realize what those things do to cars, right?"

" Why do you think I keep it in a cage," Doc retorted, locking it. " You would think a Texgas boy would know this stuff…Oh, wait. You're from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Never mind."

" What does that have to do with anything," Lightning snapped, glaring.

" Oh, nothing," Doc stated, turning to him.

" Ugh," Lightning groaned as he rolled his eyes, turning around. " I'm going to need goggles, rubber gloves, a mop, and lots of bleach."

He stormed off. Doc watched him for a moment then turned back to Chester.

" I know," Doc spoke to him. " What a wuss, right?"

The rat squeaked in agreement. A few minutes later, Lightning returned, with a mop, a box of trash bags, and a bucket of bleach in tow. He was wearing goggles and had covers on all four tires. He also had a germ mask over his grill. Doc scanned him, confused.

" What is that," Doc questioned.

" My housecleaning suit," Lightning retorted.

" Oh, I thought it was a HAZMAT suit," Doc said, sarcastically.

" Haha," Lightning fake laughed. " Very funny. Now, let's get to work. We have a lot to do."

" We," Doc buzzed.

" Yes, we," Lightning pointed the mop at the Hornet, assertively. " It's your garage, your mess, and you're helping."

" Lightning, I appreciate this, but I like everything where and how it is," Doc rejected, pushing the mop out of the way.

" You're a pack rat living with a pack rat," Lightning pointed out, earning a squeak of protest from Chester. " Do you even need most of this stuff?"

" Yes, yes I do," Doc replied, firmly.

" Really," the red car drove over to a box, pulling something out of it. " You need this?"

He held out an empty plastic container.

" A container of tire wipes, but without the wipes," Lightning uttered.

" Well, no," Doc replied, shortly.

Lightning tossed the container into a trash bag then dug out another item. It was an old record player.

" What about this," he asked.

" I still use it from time to time," Doc stated.

Lightning set the record player on the floor then pulled out the next item, which was a fedora.

" Since when do you wear a fedora," he questioned, raising a windshield.

" When I go out," Doc snatched the fedora out of his tires. " Watch the brim. You'll bend it."

The race car dived into the box then resurfaced with a wrinkled photo of a young Doc parked next to a girl.

" Who's this next to you," Lightning asked and Doc peered over his fender.

" That is Louise Nash," the Hornet retorted.

" You knew Louise Nash," Lightning turned to him.

" Of course I did," the old car uttered, taking the picture from him. " We used to race together. She had the mouth of a sailor and the speed of a demon. When I first met her, I thought she was a guy whose lug nuts never dropped. Turned out, she was a lady racer."

Lightning let out a chuckle then peered back at the box. Something shined from the bottom. He squinted his eyes then looked inside.

" What is this," he asked, pulling out the object.

It was a giant camera with wheels on the top and a light.

" That is an old movie projector," Doc retorted. " I'll show you how to use it later. You wanted to see me race, right? Well, wish granted."

" Thanks, Doc," Lightning chimed. " You can show me after we're done cleaning."

The two cars continued going through boxes in the garage. Lightning would pull an object out of a box and Doc would decide whether or not to keep it. Once they were done going through boxes, they began organizing and cleaning things. Lightning was putting books on shelves, while Doc was parked at a table, sorting through a pile of old tools.

" I did not realize how many torque wrenches I had until now," the old car muttered, surprised. " Why do I have so many dang torque wrenches? And where did all of these Philip screw drivers come from? I could've sworn I only had three of these things, not twenty."

" I did not know how many things could go wrong in a car until now," Lightning stated as he closed a book and put it on the shelf. " I am officially scarred for life."

" You didn't have to read those books, you know," Doc commented, turning to him.

" I know," Lightning drove over to Doc. " It's just something I like to do when I'm cleaning. So, you done?"

" Almost," Doc sighed, slightly irritated. " I'm about half way through this pile. This. Never. Ending. Pile…Say, Lightning? Why don't you get the projector set up while you wait, huh?"

" Are you sure," Lightning questioned. " I don't know how to do it. I might end up breaking something."

" Just put it on the stand and make sure the wheels are sticking up," Doc ordered. " I'll install the film and fire it up when I'm done."

" Okay," Lightning agreed then drove over to the box with the projector in it.

He began setting it up. Doc finished sorting through the tools then went to help Lightning, who was staring at the projector, trying to figure out how to work it. Soon, they were watching one of Doc's old races. Doc pointed at the screen.

" This was me when I was a rookie," he chimed. " At my very first race, actually. I was just a little bit younger than you."

" And I thought I was cocky," Lightning snorted as he watched a young Doc take the lead and blow a raspberry at Junior. " Wow, Doc. Wow."

" Yeah, I was a punk on the track," Doc groaned, slightly embarrassed.

" And The Fabulous Hudson Hornet wins his first race," the announcer bellowed with excitement as Doc crossed the finish line. " What a race! What a show!"

Doc smiled at the memory then frowned, looking down. The next race began broadcasting on the screen. He looked back up.

" We're live at Thunder Hollow with rookie sensation, Hudson Hornet," the news reporter announced. " Mr. Hornet, since you have won last week's race, how do you feel about today's race?"

" Honestly, I think I'm going to win again," the young Doc uttered. " And the race after that and the race after that and the race after that and so on."

" You're confident that you'll keep on winning races," she asked.

" Sure as I am blue, Trish," young Doc beamed. " That reminds me. I better get to my spot. The race is about to begin."

Lightning began chuckling up a storm.

" Yeah, yeah," Doc sighed, rolling his eyes. " Laugh it up, Rookie."

" Sorry, Doc," Lightning calmed down, but still giggled here and there. " It's just, my views of you before I met you and what I'm seeing of you in this film reel contradict each other, a lot. No wonder you hated me when I first came here. It must've felt like you were looking in a mirror."

" You can say that, yes," Doc agreed then paused. " What did you think I was like?"

Lightning shushed him as something on-screen caught his eye. Young Doc shook his rear end at River, taunting him. He started laughing again, earning an eye roll and a hood shake from Doc. Soon, it was night time. Lightning was leaning against the stand, sleeping. Doc was still awake. He was grinning as he watched his youthful-self participate in another race. Eventually, sleep overcame him, too. A few minutes later, Sally pulled into the garage. Her eyes widened at the two sleeping race cars. She softened her expression, smiling. Not wanting to disturb them, she quietly drove away, closing the garage doors behind her.


	14. Sick Day?

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Sick Day?**

Doc was parked at the starting line at Willie's Butte. He pulled out his phone, checking the time. Lightning was supposed to be there for practice an hour ago. The Hornet sighed then headed back into town. He passed _Flo's V8 Café_ on the way. Doc saw every face, except Lightning's and Sally's. Curious, he drove over to the _Cozy Cone_. Sally was in her office, reading a magazine. He approached her. Sally looked up then jumped, screaming. She calmed down immediately upon seeing who it was.

" Doc, what are you doing here," Sally asked.

" Have you seen Lightning," Doc questioned.

" I thought he was with you," Sally replied, raising a windshield.

" He never showed up," Doc countered, shaking his hood.

" Well, that's not like him," Sally stated then looked up at the clock.

It was almost noon. She looked over at the trailer, which was parked behind the cones. Sally drove from behind her desk then headed outside. Doc followed. Soon, they reached the trailer. They could hear retching coming from the inside.

" Gross," a voice mumbled from inside.

Doc and Sally exchanged worried glances. It belonged to Lightning. Sally drove over to the door, knocking on it. They heard another retching sound.

" You have got to be kidding me," Lightning yelled, hoarsely. " I just cleaned that."

Sally knocked again, louder.

" Just a minute," Lightning groaned then retched again. "I don't remember eating that…"

Sally continued knocking.

" Coming," Lightning grunted, softly. " Coming."

Soon, the trailer door opened. Behind it was a very pale Lightning. He placed a tire over his mouth, trying to contain the contents of his tank. The red car lowered it once the coast was clear.

" What," he questioned, irritably.

" Doc said you missed practice today," Sally retorted then looked him over. " Are you okay?"

" Yeah, I'm fine," Lightning replied then widened his eyes. " Wait. I missed practice? What time is it?"

" Noon," Doc replied then scanned the red car, too. " Are you sure you're okay, Kid? You look a little green."

" I'm sure," Lightning snapped then pulled forward. " Something just disagreed with my tank, is all."

Sally and Doc looked at each other, raising windshields.

" If you say so, Stickers," Sally rolled her eyes.

" I better get down to the track," Lightning muttered, feebly. " Get some practice in before leaving for tomorrow's race at least."

He started driving away, slowly.

" You're not going to let him race like that, are you," Sally turned to Doc, worry in her eyes.

" Of course not," Doc replied then rushed to Lightning's side. " Hey, Lightning. You know, it's okay to take a sick day, if you need to. One day off isn't going to have much of an impact on your performance."

" I know that, Doc," Lightning groaned. " But I don't need to take a sick day. Not sick. Just bad fuel."

" Okay," Doc rolled his eyes, sighing.

The two cars went to Willie's Butte, much to the disapproval of Sally. Lightning was putting around the track, fighting to keep his lunch down. Doc was watching from the sidelines, an expression of cringe, worry, and shock on his face. Suddenly, Lightning slammed on his brakes then sped over to the cliff, puking up more gasoline. Doc closed his eyes and shook his hood, sighing.

" Okay, that's enough," he called out. " Bring it in."

" How'd I do," Lightning creeped over to Doc, wheels quaking.

" You never even finished the first lap," Doc stated. " This is the third time you've thrown up since we've been out here. Three times in under thirty minutes. Lightning, you're sick."

Lightning placed a tire over his mouth, again. Doc gasped and hastily backed away. He removed his tire once the fuel went back down.

" Not going to stop me from racing tomorrow," he replied with a scratchy voice.

" Oh, it just might," Doc countered. " If it is bad fuel, you could be sick for up to three days."

" I'm still not scratching and nothing you say will convince me otherwise," Lightning argued then winced. " Ooo, my tank…"

" Unfortunately, you're right," Doc groaned then uttered. " As your doctor, however, I can highly advise against it and write a medical note to the officials…Now, go get some rest, Rookie. You're going to need it."

It was the next day. Everybody woke up early then hit the road, heading for the track in Las Vegas. Lightning slept most of the way there, waking up every half hour to barf.

" It's not too late to scratch, you know," Doc offered.

" No," Lightning replied abruptly. " I'm still going."

" Lightning, I've taken a sick day or two back when I was a racer," Doc recollected. " You're only going to lose a few points that you will quickly make up and then some the next race."

" Still going," Lightning stated, bluntly.

" Suit yourself, Kid," Doc sighed in defeat. " But don't say I didn't warn you."

The group arrived in Las Vegas. All of the racers were out practicing on the track, except Lightning. Doc managed to convince him to stay in the pit area until it was time to race. Once it was time for the race, Lightning putted onto the track, speeding up here and there. Soon, the race began. Lightning tried retaining the lead, but quickly fell to the back of the pack.

" Looks like McQueen is having a hard time getting his hood in the game today, Bobby," Darrel announced.

" I'll say," Bobby commented. " The last time he was toward the back of the pack was when he was qualifying for his very first Piston Cup race."

" Maybe it's another one of McQueen's tricks," Darrel chimed.

" Kid, how are you holding up out there," Doc asked through his headset.

" Huh," Lightning questioned, confused.

" I said 'how are you holding up'," Doc repeated.

" I think I'm doing good," Lightning paused then winced in pain. " I think."

Most of the cars overlapped Lightning.

" Oh, who am I kidding," he groaned in defeat. " I'm doing horrible. What was I thinking?"

" Too late to scratch now, Kid," Doc stated, sternly. " You pull out now, you'll get penalized more than the latter…Just do the best you can. I'll explain everything to your sponsors. See if you can leave directly after the race. Get you home to bed sooner."

" Thanks, Doc," Lightning moaned, his tank gurgling. " My tank…It hurts…"

" I know, Hotrod," Doc sympathized. " I know."

Soon, the end of the race neared. Lightning was dry heaving, after throwing up on the track countless times. Fortunately, the gasoline slowed down the other racers. Unfortunately, Lightning was several laps behind.

" That is one dedicated racer out there," Darrel chimed.

" Either that, or the dumbest," Bobby tweeted. " McQueen has caused four wrecks this race. Only one of them was gasoline related."

" I wonder what his crew chief thinks about all of this," Darrel commented.

" I think he's thinking what everybody else is thinking," Bobby buzzed. " He needs to get off of the track and go back to his cozy cone until he is well again."

" Doc, can you have Mater tow me back to the pits when this is over, please," Lightning mumbled, on the verge of tears. " I don't think I can make it."

" Of course, Kiddo," Doc retorted, softly.

" Thanks, Doc," Lightning muttered.

Finally, the race was over. Lightning, unfortunately, was unable to finish due to time constraints. A few minutes later, Mater drove onto the track and towed Lightning to his trailer. Meanwhile, Sally and Doc were speaking with Rusty and Dusty.

" You tell that kid of yours to get better soon," Rusty uttered.

" Will do," Doc retorted. " Has he done this before?"

" Oh, yeah," Dusty confirmed. " One time, he raced with a broken axle and another time he raced with the flu. We tried to convince him to take time off, but there's no getting through to him. It's like there's a wall there."

" Tell me about it," Doc sighed, rolling his eyes.

" Well, we should be going," Sally tweeted. " Stickers is waiting for us. See ya next week."

The two cars began driving off.

" Take care now," Rusty chimed.

On the way back to Radiator Springs, Lightning was staring down at the trailer floor, trying to avoid eye contact with his mentor. Doc was reading a book, occasionally glancing up.

" What," he asked, raising a windshield.

" Aren't you going to tell me you told me so," Lightning looked up at him.

" Nah," Doc replied, turning away from his book. " I think you punished yourself enough. Also, you'll be dealing with Sally's wrath later, which is worse than what I can come up with."

" True," Lightning stated, feeling regret. " She's never going to let me live that down."

" As much as you worried her today, I don't blame her," Doc said then turned back to his book. " Now, get some rest."

" Can't," Lightning hissed in pain. " Tank hurts too much."

" Well, if you took today off like I suggested, it wouldn't hurt so much, now would it," Doc argued.

" I knew I should've rode home with Sally," Lightning muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Mack hit a bump in the road, making Lightning's tank churn. Lightning made a retching sound.

" My book," Doc yelled.


	15. Food Fight with Cruz

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Food Fight with Cruz**

Danny and Chase were parked at a table at one of the race track food courts, sipping down oil and munching on chili cheese fries. It was the day before the big race.

" Hey, Chase," Danny uttered, pointing in front of him. " Check it out. McQueen is leaving Ramirez unattended."

Chase turned around. Lightning was speaking to Cruz, while backing away from the table. He turned around then drove through the double doors, leaving the room.

" You thinking what I'm thinking," Danny questioned, smirking mischievously.

Chase turned to him, eyes widened.

" Danny, no," he snapped. " He will be back any minute. We could get in trouble."

" Oh, come on," Danny chimed, waving a fry in the air. " Just one little fry. Besides, McQueen is an old timer. He could be a while."

" Mmm," Chase hummed, nervously.

" What are you afraid of, Racellot," Danny urged, bouncing the fry between his front tires. " Nobody will ever know it was us."

" Well," Chase raised a windshield, unsure.

" We'll pin the blame on Storm," Danny buzzed then ate the fry. " He's not too far from her, unlike us."

Chase turned to Storm, biting his lip. Storm was parked at a table behind Cruz, listening to music while playing a game on his tablet. He grabbed a slice of ranch covered pizza and shoved it in his mouth.

" He's not even eating the same thing," Chase argued, turning back.

" It doesn't matter," Danny shook his hood then paused. " So, what do you say?"

" Do what you want, Swervez," Chase groaned, glaring. " I'm not getting involved in this."

He picked up a tireful of fries and shoved it in his mouth, chewing aggressively.

" Okay, but you're missing out," Danny shrugged then turned to Cruz.

" Come on," Cruz muttered to herself, tapping the screen. " Stupid phone app."

Danny looked at Chase, moving his windshield up and down. Chase shook his hood, disapprovingly. He grabbed his entire bin of fries and chucked it at the CRS. It splattered all over the back of her cab.

" Hey," she yelled, turning around. " Who threw that?"

Cruz looked around. Her eyes landed on Danny and Chase, who were looking at her. Danny pointed at Storm. She turned to her arch rival and glared at him.

" Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong," she whispered bitterly, shaking her hood.

The CRS grabbed her salad and threw it at Storm. It hit him in the face. Storm froze for a moment, blinked then looked up at her, confused and angry.

" Hey," Storm yelled. " What'd I do?"

" Don't play Yugo with me," Cruz hollered, pointing at him. " You know very well what you did."

" I have no idea what you're talking about, Costume Girl," Storm argued, driving over to her. " I was parked at the table, minding my own business."

" Did minding your own business by any chance involve throwing an entire container of chili cheese fries at my backside," Cruz spat.

" Huh," Storm raised a windshield. " You're crazy."

" Oh, I'm crazy," Cruz stated, smirking. " I'm crazy. Crazy doesn't even describe the level of crazy I'm capable of."

The Dinoco car picked up a nearby container of vanilla pudding, holding it in the air. She chucked it at him. Storm wiped it off with his tires, smiling and chuckling venomously.

" You're real mature, you know that," he said, sarcastically.

He grabbed his can of oil and held it over Cruz, dumping it all over her. Storm pulled it back and dropped it on the floor.

" Oops," he held a tire up to his mouth, feigning regret. " I'm so sorry."

Cruz spat out the oil as it dripped into her mouth. She tried wiping it off.

" Yuck," she gagged. " Diet oil."

" The very best," Storm chimed proudly.

Cruz grabbed Storm's ranch dressing. She began decorating him with it. The CRS pulled back when she was finished, grinning. She drew a bunch of hearts on him.

" You don't seem to have a heart, so I gave you a bazillion," Cruz quipped.

" Gah," Storm squealed as he looked at himself. " I'm all girly. Why you…"

" Hey, Everyone," Harvey shouted, pointing at the two cars. " Food fight."

Suddenly, food, oil, and gasoline went flying all over the food court. Herb threw a plate of mashed potatoes at Tim, laughing. Tim turned around and threw a plate of spaghetti at him. He chuckled while pointing. Tim pulled into reverse as a Salisbury steak smacked him in the face, slamming into a table. Bubba and Cam were squirting condiments at each other, both in a frenzy.

" You better ketchup, Bubba," Cam quipped as he squeezed the bottle of ketchup, cackling. " Get it."

" I will and I will own you, Mustard," Bubba guffawed as he squeezed the bottle of mustard.

" Four," Ryan screamed at the top of his lungs as he hit an apple with a breadstick.

The apple smashed against the wall near the entrance, sliding down it. Lightning re-entered the cafeteria, muttering to himself as he looked down at the floor. He looked up and gawked, gasping. A bowl of pea soup was flying at him. The red car swiftly dodged it and began scanning the room. There was food, oil, and gasoline everywhere. He spotted Cruz throwing a plate of meatloaf at Storm then turning around and throwing a cheese burger at Danny, laughing. Danny threw a plate of stroganoff back at her, chortling. Lightning started taking in names and faces then took a deep breath.

" Hey," he shouted at the top of his lungs, causing everybody to freeze in place and look at him.

A tub of yogurt landed on top of Lightning's cab. The younger cars gasped, widening their eyes. He drove through the crowd, pretending it never happened.

" What is going on here," he huffed then turned around. " Who is responsible for this?"

The group looked over at Storm and Cruz. Lightning rolled his eyes.

" Why am I not surprised," he murmured then drove over to them.

Cruz discretely hid a bowl of jello behind her front tire, staring down at the floor. Storm hid the taco he was holding in his mouth. Lightning parked in front of them.

" It was Storm's fault, Mr. McQueen," Cruz pointed at Storm. " He threw his bin of chili fries at me."

Storm grunted in protest as crumbs spilled from him, eyes bulging. He turned to Lightning and pointed at Cruz, trying to defend himself with his mouthful.

" Can't hear you, Storm," Lightning stated, rolling his eyes. " Chew and swallow first then speak."

Storm chewed up the taco then swallowed it. He pointed at Cruz again, glaring.

" She started it," he barked. " I was on my phone when she threw her salad at me."

" I don't care who started it," Lightning switched his gaze between the two, lowering his voice. " You both get to clean up this entire mess, starting now."

" Now," Storm shouted then argued. " But I have to be down at the track in half an hour. My crew chief will kill me if I'm late again."

" Well, you better get moving then," Lightning sternly rebutted then turned to the yellow car. " And as for you, Cruz. I expect an extra fifty laps the next three practices. Understood?"

" Yes, Mr. McQueen," Cruz sighed as she looked back down at the floor.

Storm and Cruz began cleaning the food court. The rest of the group left, so it was just them and the old Rust-eze car.

" This is so unfair," Jackson complained as he wiped down a wall. " I didn't even do anything."

" Yeah, and I'm the queen of England," Cruz snarked as she swept the floor. " Thanks to you, we are both in trouble."

" No talking," Lightning hollered from across the room then muttered to himself. " Kids…"


	16. Spring Fever in Thomasville

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Spring Fever in Thomasville**

It was the year 1952. The Thomasville gang was hanging out at the bar, which looked different than it did yesterday. It was coated in floral decorations and bright lights. Also, the tables were pushed against the walls, each adorned with food, beverages and silverware. Long story short, it was time for the town's annual _Spring Fever_ dance, much to Doc's dismay. He and Louise were each parked against a wall, while everybody else frolicked. Louise was looking around, a bored expression on her face. Doc rolled his eyes and shook his hood. He knew what she wanted and she was not going to get it. Soon, River appeared at his side, dancing in place.

" Hey, Hud," River chimed as he ceased movement. " Why don't you ask Lou to dance? She looks kinda gloomy."

" Why don't you," Doc turned to him, irritated. " You're the one who fancies her."

" But she fancies you," River uttered then shrugged downheartedly. " She hates my wires. Every time I ask her out, she shuts me down."

" Then ask her again," Doc urged. " Maybe she'll finally give up on me and say yes to you, for once."

" I don't get why you won't give her a chance, Hud," River stated, slowly working up to a dreamy smile. " She's sweet, she's feisty, she's fast, she's…Oh my… She's the total package."

" I just don't feel the same way she does about me, is all," Doc glanced over at Louise.

Louise looked over at him then looked down at the ground, shuffling her tire. The Hornet turned to River, holding a tire to the opposite side of his cab.

" Plus, she scares me," he confessed in a whisper.

" So, you do fancy her," River raised his voice, tauntingly. " You just won't admit it, not even to yourself."

Doc's eyes bulged as he put a tire over River's mouth, shushing him. Louise glanced back up, raising a windshield. Doc turned to Louise. He gave a nervous smile and waved at her. Louise smiled and waved back, giving a wink. The Hornet turned to River then shoved him into a corner, tire still over his mouth. He dropped his smile into a scowl.

" I do not fancy her and I never will," Doc defended, removing his tire. " If anything, she's one of the boys to me."

" If you saw her that way then why do you take her out on dates, hmm," River questioned, smirking.

" Oh, those weren't dates," Doc scoffed. " I lost a few bets to her. Loser does what the winner wants to do. They're more like pity dates."

" Okay," River nodded then tilted his cab. " And you keep making bets with her, why?"

" I can't resist a challenge," Doc retorted, rolling his eyes. " Neither can she. Why she keeps suckering me into them."

" Hello, Boys," Smokey pulled up to them then raised a windshield. " What are you two doing parked in a corner? The party is this way."

" Smokey, does Hud fancy Lou," River asked and Doc glared at him, trying to resist the urge to pounce on him.

" River, what have I told you about jumping to conclusions," Smokey chastised, sternly. " Hud and Lou are just friends. Nothing more. A man and a woman can be friends, right?"

" I don't know, Smokey," River was skeptic. " He and Lou hang out alone an awful lot."

" And," Smokey questioned, pushing for more information.

" Well, they hang out a lot, alone," River repeated then shook his hood. " That's not normal."

Smokey turned to Doc.

" Hud, have you and Lou ever kissed," Smokey asked.

" No," Doc shook his hood.

" Have you ever held tires or got all cozy-like," Smokey made gestures with his tires.

" Nope," Doc shook his hood, again.

" Have you ever bought her flowers or got all gussied up," Smokey teased.

" Heck no," Doc huffed, disgusted. " I'm trying to repel Lou, not reel her in."

Smokey turned back to River.

" I rest my case," he stated with a shrug and River's jaw dropped.

" Smokey, you can't be serious," River squeaked.

The Hudson truck raised a tire, a serious expression on his grill.

" River," Smokey raised his voice then paused. " Shut up."

River pouted, taken aback. He drove away.

" Thanks, Smokey," Doc chimed, smiling.

" Don't mention it, Hud," Smokey uttered, winking.

" Hud, my favorite song is coming on and I have nobody to dance with," Lou shouted from across the room.

" You better go before she comes over here," Smokey suggested.

" Do I have to," Doc moaned like a five-year-old.

" Hud," Louise bellowed. " I'm waiting. I'm not getting any younger and neither are you. In fact, I think I can see your paint fading from here...Yeah, you have a couple of light blue spots where your navy should be."

" I don't think you have much of a choice," Smokey chuckled.

Doc rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his hood. He drove over to Louise. Louise was giving him the evil eye, still shuffling her tire on the floor.

" Well, it's about time," Louise spat. " I thought I was going to have to dance with River. That man has two left tires."

" Don't we all," Doc pointed out.

" Oh, you know what I mean," Louise scoffed then scanned him, gesturing a tire. " So, you gonna ask me to dance, or are you just gonna stare at my pretty face?"

" Yeah, about that," Doc pointed at her, firmly. " Just one song. One song and that's it. Okay?"

" You're no fun," Louise rolled her eyes then looked back at him, grinning. " Fine. One song."

" Ms. Louise 'Barnstormer' Nash, may I have this dance," Doc offered her his tire, bowing.

Louise hastily latched a hold of his tire then started yanking him toward the dance floor, gleefully. Once they reached their destination, they began dancing together. The Hornet could feel Louise's breath on him. He tried pulling away so as to mind his distance, but the Ambassador would not have it. Doc was locked in her vice grip.

" Did I mention I want six kids," Louise tweeted, leaning against his fender.

" Did I mention I want none," Doc stuttered out, awkwardly.

" Nine," Louise buzzed then giggled as Doc spun her around. " Hud, you rascal, you."

" No, none," Doc repeated as he pulled Louise back toward him. " As in zero. I'm horrible with kids. Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't have any time for them. Looks like you'll have to find somebody else to drool all over."

" Oh, you mean like River," Louise swore she caught a minor glimpse of jealousy in Doc's eyes.

" Yeah, like River," Doc buzzed, grinning. " He fancies you."

" Not a snowball's chance," Louise retorted, stubbornly. " The heart wants what it wants and it wants you."

" Dare I ask why," Doc groaned. " Why me?"

" Well, you're smart, for one," Louise listed. " You know more about internal combustion than anybody I know, and you haven't even gone to medical school. I still can't thank you enough for replacing my distributor cap. Let's see…You're also handsome, kinda sorta sweet when you're not busy being Mr. Grumpy Bumper, and you know how to show a gal a good time. Also, unlike others, you treat me like a car."

" Should I be flattered or scared," Doc questioned, a nervous expression on his grill.

" Flattered, Ol' Bashful One," Louise chuckled, tapping him on the grill with her tire.

" I'd rather be scared," Doc replied, wincing.

Soon, the song ended and they parted. Louise eyed Doc up-and-down.

" Not bad," Louise commented, smirking. " Did you take lessons?"

" I had some," Doc retorted, looking up at the ceiling in thought. " My mother forced me to take them. I hated them. Still do."

" Well, that's too bad, because you dance divinely," Louise chimed, leaning toward him. " I think you should continue taking them."

" Thanks, I think," Doc answered in what sounded like a question. " Now, excuse me while I go wash your cooties off."

The Hornet sped into the restroom. Louise giggled as she watched him.

" I will get you somebody, Hud," she tweeted. " Just you wait and see."


	17. Dancing in the Rain

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Dancing in the Rain**

" It's raining," Cruz sang as she stared through a window. " It's pouring. The old man is snoring. I wish I was doing the same, but my crew chief won't let me. That's lame. Why does he get to nap and I don't?"

She turned to Lightning, who was asleep. His snores were audible among the heavy rain drops hitting the concrete. The entire group was inside a garage at one of the tracks, waiting for the storm to let up, so the race could start. Sally pulled up to her.

" Why don't you go outside, Cruz," the Porsche suggested.

" I don't know, Ms. Carrera," Cruz hesitated. " I don't think Mr. McQueen would like that."

" Wanna bet," Sally chimed. "Stickers and I used to go singing and dancing out in the rain every chance we got. One time, we got all of the racers and their pit crews to join us. It was a lot of fun."

" Wow," Cruz was intrigued. " What happened? Why'd you stop?"

" Sticker's crash happened," Sally looked down, solemnly. " Now, whenever we get a rainstorm, his axles swell and ache."

" Oh," Cruz glanced down then back up. " Getting old sucks. Remind me never to do that."

" I don't believe you have a choice," Sally chimed, chuckling. " You know, Lightning said the same thing about Doc. Storms aggravated his old injuries, too. Doc never tried sleeping it off, though. Most of the time, he would talk to others, read, write letters to Thomasville, or yell at Stickers and I for getting sick after playing out in the rain."

" I thought Mr. McQueen raced with the sniffles a few times," Cruz giggled then looked back out the window.

It was still raining heavily outside. Cruz groaned.

" Rain," she began singing again. " Rain. Go away. Come back again some other day, and I don't mean at the next race."

Suddenly, lightning struck near the building, followed by a loud crash of thunder. Cruz jumped and widened her eyes, backing away from the window.

" Okay," Cruz yelped. " Do what you want. Geeze."

Sally chuckled.

" Maybe we should wait until the storm lets up a little before going outside," she buzzed.

" Ya think," Cruz uttered then glanced over at Lightning, who was still sleeping. " Wow. He could sleep through a hurricane."

" He actually did that once," Sally stated, looking up in thought. " He also slept through a tornado, an earthquake, Mater lighting up a fire cracker, a smoke detector…The end of the world could happen and he would sleep through it."

" I figured that," Cruz shrugged. " I accidentally turned the volume on the TV in his trailer up on high once. He didn't even move…Hey. The storm's letting up."

Sally and Cruz exited the garage. Everybody else stayed inside, playing cards. The Porsche drove over to Lightning's trailer and opened the door. She went inside. Cruz pulled up behind her.

" What are you looking for," Cruz asked.

" We can't sing and dance in the rain without music, now can we," Sally chimed, searching the trailer. " Now, where did he put it, again?"

Soon, she found Lightning's boom box. It was stowed away in a cabinet.

" Aha," she pulled it out. " There it is."

She placed the boom box in a spot where it would not get wet and plugged it into an outlet inside the trailer. Sally pushed a button. Music boasted from both the boom box and trailer speakers. Next, Sally began dancing and singing in the rain. Cruz remained in the trailer. Sally paused, turning to her.

" Don't just park there," Sally urged then gestured toward herself. " Come on."

Cruz looked at the puddles of water then up at Sally.

" What are you waiting for," Sally asked then twirled. " Whoo hoo!"

Cruz glanced back down at the ground then back up to Sally, once more. Soon, a smile crept up on her face. She raced out of the trailer and into the nearest water puddle, splashing Sally in the process.

" Hey," Sally shouted then did a roadie, splashing Cruz back.

Cruz squealed then spun her back tires, sending a tidal wave toward Sally. Sally laughed then continued dancing and singing.

" La-la-la-la-la-la-le-la-dum-la-dum," Sally chanted. " A-la-la-ba-dum."

" Wow," Cruz tweeted as she began dancing. " I didn't know you could sing, Ms. Carrera."

" Why thank-you, Cruz," Sally beamed. " Years of practice forced on me by the _Los Angeles Catholic School for Girls_."

" Oh," Cruz stated, taken aback. " I've been practicing in the car wash ever since I could talk."

The CRS and Porsche went silent, but continued dancing. Cruz cleared her throat then began singing.

" Do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-do-do-ti-la-so-fa-me-re-do," she sang. "Every truly cultured music student knows  
you must learn your scales and your arpeggios. Bring the music ringing from your chest and not your nose while you sing your scales and your arpeggi-Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Cruz began hydroplaning. She screamed as she spun out. Soon, she came to a stop, her eyes spinning. The other racers peered from their garages and trailers, looking around for the cause of the commotion.

" What is going on out here," Danny questioned, concerned.

" Is everyone alright," Chase asked.

" I heard screaming," Bubba stated.

" Do you mind," Storm yelled, grumpily. " I'm trying to beat the big boss on _Sonic_ …I mean, I'm trying to sleep."

" Oh, sorry, guys," Cruz apologized, smiling. " Ms. Carrera and I were just dancing and singing in the rain. Don't mind us. Go back to doing whatever you were doing."

" Dancing and singing in the rain," Ryan scoffed. " Why would you ever want to do that?"

" Because it's fun," Cruz chimed. " You do know what fun is, right?"

" Of course I do," Ryan defended. " I just don't see what's so fun about being cold and wet."

" Well, it's better than being cooped up inside for Ford knows how long until the rain stops," Cruz uttered.

" You got a point there, Ramirez," Ryan agreed.

" That does look like an awful lot of fun," Tim buzzed. " Mind if we join you?"

" Not at all," Cruz shrugged.

First, a few cars joined them then several more. Soon, they had all of the racers dancing and singing out in the rain, except for Storm. He chose to stay in his trailer and play video games. Suddenly, the music went dead silent. The group turned to the cause of it. Lightning was parked next to his boom box, holding the cord in one tire. He was grimacing.

" Hey, what is going on here," he shouted then grinned. " Why wasn't I invited?"

" We didn't want to wake you, Stickers," Sally approached him. " Sorry."

" Yeah, we didn't want you to be in pain, so we let you sleep," Cruz chimed.

" Really," Lightning turned to Sally, windshield raised.

" It's true," Sally retorted.

" Well, I'm not in pain right now," Lightning shrugged. " Mind if I join you?"

" You're not going to do the same dance moves you did when you apologized to me, are you," Cruz raised a windshield.

" Are you saying I can't dance," Lightning challenged.

" After what I've seen, yes," Cruz retorted.

" Put your emergency parking brake on, Cruz, because you are about to get blown away," Lightning turned to Sally, holding a tire out to her. " Sal, may I have this dance?"

" I'd be delighted, Stickers," Sally beamed as she grabbed his tire.

Lightning plugged the boom box back in. The music came back on. Sally grinned at the familiar song that came on. It played during what she thought was Lightning's last night in Radiator Springs, all those years ago.

" It's our song," she tweeted.

" I, uh, swapped out the CD while everyone was distracted," Lightning uttered.

" Wow," Cruz remarked. " This music is so ancient. It's, like, prehistoric old. Not that it's not good."

" Nice save, Kid," Lightning turned to Cruz then back to Sally. " Ready, Sal?"

" Ready when you are, Stickers," Sally chimed.

Soon, the couple began dancing. The younger cars watched them.

" Whoa," Chase commented. " Old Man McQueen and the old lady got some moves."

The group began cheering for them. Meanwhile, in the IGNTR trailer, Storm was still playing his video game. He paused it then peered out the window, curious. Suddenly, lightning struck his trailer, knocking the power out. Storm was now parked in the dark. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

" Ah, great," the black car mumbled.

He felt around for the button that opened the door. Once he found it, he pressed it. The door opened, letting the light in. He backed out of the trailer.

" Gale," Storm shouted. " The power just went out in my trailer. I need you to turn the circuit breaker back on, because I can't reach it."

She did not answer.

" Gale," He questioned then looked around.

Gale was toward the front of the crowd, dancing.

" Whoo," she shouted. " Shake what the manufacturer gave ya."

Storm rolled his eyes again then went to approach her.

" Um, Gale," he uttered.

" Dance with me, Storm," Gale grabbed Storm and tried dancing with him.

He stayed in one spot as she moved his front tires around.

" I don't dance," Storm grunted in annoyance as he pulled his tires back. " Gale, do you think you can turn the power back on in my trailer, please?"

" Why," Gale questioned. " So you can go back to playing your video games? You're still a kid. Have some fun. Enjoy your youth while you got it."

" I am having fun and I am enjoying my youth, thank you very much," Storm snapped. " And, yes. I would like to go back to playing my video games, if you don't mind."

" You're such a bore, you know that," Gale quipped.

" Me," Storm pointed to himself, offended. " A bore? I'll show you, you gloried tow truck."

Storm began kind of sort of dancing. His rhythm was off and his moves bounced between limp and jerky. Gale stared at him, wide eyed. He let out a few grunts here and there, causing the crowd to turn toward him and start laughing. Danny pulled out his phone and began recording him. Soon, Storm stopped dancing, posing with one of his tires in the air and his hood down. He caught his breath then recomposed himself. Storm looked up at Gale.

" Told you I wasn't a bore," he defended.

" You also said you didn't dance," Gale muttered. " I can see why."

" Swervez, delete that video now, before I sue the metal off of you," Storm hollered, pointing at Danny. " And don't think I don't know who really started that food fight. I have proof."

Danny widened his eyes and lowered his phone. He looked over to Chase, glaring at him. Chase shrugged and shook his hood.

" Wasn't me," he mouthed.

" Hey, the storm's gone," Cruz chimed as the sun began coming out from behind the clouds. " Alright. Let's race."

" Attention, Everyone," Darrell announced. " Due to how late the storm cleared out, today's race is cancelled. I repeat. Today's race is cancelled."

" What," one of the racers shouted.

" Aww, man," another whined.

" Why," A third one cried. " Why? Why? Why?"

" Have a nice day," he continued. " See you at next week's race."

" Life could be dream, Sweetheart," the song ended.


	18. A Day at Lizzie's Curios Shop

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **A Day at Lizzie's Curios Shop**

" $13.95," Lizzie grunted from behind the cash register.

There was a snow globe and a couple of bumper stickers on the counter. Parked in front of it was an Audi.

"$12.50," the customer argued. " There's some paint missing on the snow globe."

" $13.50," Lizzie countered with determination, slamming her front tires on the counter.

" $12.50," the customer repeated, leaning forward.

"$13.25," Lizzie lowered her price, again.

" $14.99," the customer raised his voice.

" $12.50," Lizzie barked, leaning forward and pointing at him. " And that's my final offer. Take it or leave it."

The Audi raised a windshield and eyed her, confused.

" Well, don't just stand there," Lizzie snapped, pulling back. " My price is my price. Pay up."

" Um, okay," the Audi stated then paid the old lady. " Keep the change."

He picked up his souvenirs then left the shop.

" Enjoy the ride," Lizzie hollered, cheerfully. " Thank you for choosing _Dollywood_."

" Excuse me, Ma'am," a Taurus approached her, holding up a walking stick. " How much for the walking stick?"

" Oh, that's not a walking stick, Dear," Lizzie yanked it out of her tire, aggressively. " It's my cane and it's not for sale."

She then whacked a little coupe on the tire with her cane just as she was about to touch one of the snow globes.

" Ow," she yelped, rubbing her tire.

" Under fender high means no touching the merchandise," Lizzie scolded.

The little coupe recoiled, tearing up. She drove into another part of the curios shop.

" Hey, Lady," an old, beat up Chevrolet pick-up hollered. " I could use a little help putting on this bumper sticker."

" Gladly, Sonny," Lizzie tweeted, setting her cane down. " I'll be there in a jiff."

Lizzie pulled out from behind the cash register, slowly.

" Almost there," she was still making her way around it.

It took several minutes before she reached the truck.

" Oh, I forgot to grab my cane," she chuckled. " Silly me."

She turned around and headed back to the register. The truck watched her, waiting patiently. When Lizzie got to the register, she grabbed her cane then headed back to the bumper sticker section.

" Okay, Deary," Lizzie uttered. " I'm back."

She widened her eyes, blinking. The Model-T raised a windshield and tapped her grill with her tire, looking up at the ceiling.

" Eh, what was I going to do, again," Lizzie asked and the truck showed her the bumper sticker. " Right. Thank you. Uh, where would you like it?"

" I'd like it here," the truck turned around, pointing to his rear bumper. " Right in the middle, please."

" Not a problem," Lizzie grabbed the bumper sticker, peeling the paper off of it.

She attached it to the cane. Next, Lizzie swung the cane, completely missing the bumper. The truck let out a high pitched scream and fell to his side, rear tires turned inward and shaking. One of his eyes was twitching.

" Oh, for crying out loud," Lizzie snapped. " It ain't gonna bite. If you were so scared of bumper stickers then why'd you buy one?...Ugh. Millennials. All of that coddling has turned them into a bunch of snowflakes..."

" Is everything alright," Sheriff busted into the shop, out of breath. " I heard screaming."

" Sorry, Sheriff," Lizzie uttered, approaching him. " It's nothing. Just one of them young folks cowering before a bumper sticker, again."

" You hit another car in the lugnuts, again," Sheriff widened his eyes. " Lizzie, that's the third customer you've done that to this month. Have you even seen the eye doctor yet?"

" No, and I don't need to because my vision is perfectly fine," Lizzie spat as she stormed over to a rack full of postcards.

" Lizzie, I'm over here," Sheriff was behind her. " You really, really need to see an eye doctor."

She spun around, flustered.

" For the last time, I don't need glasses," she defended. " My eyesight is 20/20. That's what my eye doctor told me."

" Yeah, 70 years ago," Sheriff scoffed then spoke gently. " Come on, Lizzie. Please. Do it for Stanley."

" My Stanley has been dead for 50 years," Lizzie screeched. " I told him not to play the harmonica while driving around in the mines, but he didn't listen...Fine. I'll go, but I call dibs on the little train. You can have the little plane."

" Okay," Sheriff grinned, playing along with the last part. " Deal."

The sheriff turned around and left the shop.

" There is no little plane," Lizzie scoffed. " What an idiot."


	19. Tractor-Tipping Cruz

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Tractor-Tipping Cruz**

" So, let me get this straight," Sally stated, tapping her tire against her grill. " While Stickers and I went to dinner, you two went out tractor-tipping?"

" We sure did, Ms. Sally," Mater chimed, smiling. " And we had fu-un."

" Yeah, if you count getting my rear axle broken by Frank fun," Cruz muttered from the lift then yelped. " Ow."

" Sorry, Cruz," Ramone apologized then finished reconnecting the rear axle, pulling away. " There. All done. No running and jumping around for the next few weeks. Okay?"

" Okay," Cruz said, now feeling in less pain. " Thanks, Mr...What is your last name, anyway? I never caught it."

" Just keep calling me Ramone, please," Ramone uttered. " None of this 'Mr.' stuff. It makes me feel like an old car."

" Oh, gotcha," Cruz piped. " Thanks, Ramone."

" Mater, I don't believe you," Lightning snapped, glaring at his friend. " Because of you, Cruz can't race in the next four races."

" Don't be so hard on him, Mr. McQueen," Cruz stepped in. " It's my fault, too. I should've watched where I was going. Do you have any idea how easy it is to get stuck in a barbed wire fence?"

" Actually, I do," Lightning retorted, remembering the night he got separated from Mack before the last race of his rookie year. " However, I know Mater better than you do so, ergo, it's his fault. He's talked me into doing the craziest things for years. Finally had to put a stop to it after almost getting mauled by a bear."

" Awww, he was just trying to give you a hug, Buddy," Mater uttered as he pulled over to him.

" Yeah, with his teeth and claws," Lightning leaned forward, shouting. " That is the last time I ever go bear wrestling with you."

" It's still partly my fault, though," Cruz interjected as she looked between the older cars. " I'm over 18 and am, therefore, responsible for any decisions that I make. I chose to go tractor-tipping with Mater and I paid for it. Look. I'm not happy about being off of the race track for the next few weeks either, but you don't see me overheating my engine over it."

" Oh, that's not what I'm overheating my engine over," Lightning defended, turning to her. " I specifically told Mater not to take you out tractor-tipping. This is why."

He gestured a tire toward Cruz's injury.

" Nah, that's not what you said," Mater countered as he shook his hood. " You told me to take Cruz out tractor-tipping. That she'd have a good time."

" No, I told you not to take her out tractor-tipping, because she would not have a good time," Lightning scoffed, getting in Mater's face. " Clean your door handles."

Mater took out a rag and started wiping down his door handles. Lightning rolled his eyes and shook his hood, sighing. Sally turned to Cruz.

" Well, it looks like you're on lock down at the _Cozy Cone_ until you heal up," she uttered. " If you need anything, just holler for or call me or Lightning. We should be nearby."

" Thanks, Ms. Carrera," Cruz tweeted.

The group froze as they heard a loud, baritone moo coming from nearby.

" Mater, you did remember to close the gate, right," Lightning asked.

" Uh, define close," Mater nervously retorted.

Soon, they heard the rest of the townsfolk and some guests screaming, followed by a loud thud. The group looked out the window of the body art shop. Frank had knocked down one of the cozy cones, which rolled and smashed into the main office building, crushing it. Sally seethed, gritting her teeth.

" Mater," she screamed.


	20. Awkward Talk

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Awkward Talk**

Doc was in the process of wiping things down in the clinic when he heard a knock on the door.

" Come in," he hollered, not taking his eyes off of whatever he was cleaning.

" Hey, Doc," Lightning greeted as he entered the clinic. " Mind if I talk to you? Alone?"

The blue car turned around, gesturing to the empty room with a dirty rag. Lightning looked around, noticing they were the only ones inside.

" Right," Lightning closed the door behind him then pulled forward, bashfully. " Anyway, it's kind of… embarrassing…"

" Kid, I've been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth," Doc uttered, calmly. " Whatever it is, I've heard and seen it all."

" Right," Lightning chuckled slightly then dropped his gaze to the floor, frowning.

The red car then looked back up. He hesitated for a minute before pulling out a stack of papers, which were stapled together. It was a production test.

" I found this in the trash can in the office of the _Cozy Cone_ this morning," Lightning replied, nervously. " The results were inconclusive, but its presence is enough to concern me."

Doc took the papers out of Lightning's tire, reading them. He looked back at the red car.

" And let me guess," the blue car uttered. " You're here to see if there's a better way to prevent this scare from happening again."

Lightning's voice got caught in his throat as Doc waved the papers in front of his face, his mouth going dry. He could feel his whole frame shaking. Fortunately, Doc did not notice. The race car took a deep breath before answering.

" Yes," Lightning replied then raised a windshield. " Is there?"

" Of course," Doc set the papers on the counter, smiling. " Follow me."

The Hornet headed over to the cabinets. Lightning followed. Doc dug through the drawers until he came across what he was looking for. He pulled them out and laid them down on the counter. There were two protective plates to choose from. Doc pointed to the first one.

" This one is permanent," he informed. " The only way to remove it is by going to a licensed MD. Perfect for those who want to wait a while, or don't want the factory building kids at all."

Doc then pointed to the second one.

" This one is a clip-on," he said. " It can be removed and put back on by the wearer any time. It also allows privacy."

" Wow," Lightning awed. " I don't know which one to get."

" I can help with that, but you'll need to answer a few personal questions, if you don't mind," Doc replied, turning to him.

" Well, I'm already embarrassed, so fire away," Lightning permitted, doing the same.

" Okay," Doc uttered then proceeded. " Do you or Sally want kids, at all?"

" I'm on the fence about it, actually," Lightning replied as he looked away. " Some days, I want them. Other days, I don't. As for Sally, I don't know. I never asked. Come to think of it, neither of us have brought this up."

" Have you two been using protection," Doc asked.

" Yes," Lightning nodded.

"Every time," Doc pressed, raising a windshield.

" Yes," Lightning replied hastily and Doc stared at him, causing him to sigh in defeat. " No, especially lately. That duct tape sucks. It always leaves residue and it keeps sticking to itself."

Doc rolled his eyes, shaking his hood.

" What," Lightning squeaked, widening his eyes.

" For someone who isn't sure, you're playing with fire an awful lot there, Kiddo," Doc sternly remarked then uttered. " Okay. I'll set you up with the first one as a precaution, for now."

" Sounds good," Lightning paused then turned back toward the counter. " Um…Which one is the first one again?"

" That would be that one," Doc pointed. " The permanent one."

" Oh," Lightning recoiled. " It's not going to hurt, is it?"

" You'll be sore for a few days," Doc stated. " After that, you'll be fine."

" You're mad at me, aren't you," Lightning asked, nervously.

" I'm not your father, so no," Doc retorted. " You're also an adult, so is Sally. What you two do behind closed doors is your business. However, I'm glad you came to me when you did. I am curious about something, though. Who told you to use duct tape?"

" Mater," Lightning scoffed and Doc rolled his eyes, shaking his hood.

" Wait 'til I get my tires on him," he growled under his breath.


	21. Caught in the Act

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Caught in the Act**

Sally was carrying two jugs of gasoline and a giant can of oil. She drove over to the _Cozy Cone_ and approached the office.

" Stickers, I'm home," the Porsche called from the entry way, but did not get an answer.

She heard music coming from inside, though.

" Stickers," she called again as she headed into the building.

" Then I saw her face," Sally heard a chipper voice singing. " Now, I'm a believer."

It belonged to Lightning. The Porsche smiled as she delved further into the building.

" Without a trace, I'm doubting my mind," Lightning continued singing.

Sally pulled up behind him and bit her tongue, trying not to bust up laughing. He was singing into a feather duster, while dancing in the middle of the room.

" I'm in love," he kept singing, not noticing her. " I'm a believer. I couldn't leave her, if I tried."

The Porsche slapped a tire over her grill, giggling.

" Then I saw her face," Lightning raised his voice. " Now I'm a believer. I'm in loooooooove. I'm believer. Hey. Hey. I believe. I believe. I believe. I believe. I believe. I believe. I believe. Yeah. I believe. I believe."

Sally laughed out loud, making Lightning jump and turn around. He froze. She chortled for a few more seconds before calming down.

" Sal," the race car's voice shook as a blush crept up on his face. " H-how long have you been parked there?"

" Oh, long enough," Sally chimed, still giggling here and there. " Nice mic, by the way."

Lightning glanced at the feather duster then set it down on the desk, awkwardly. He glanced back up at his girlfriend with a bashful crooked smile, letting out a small chuckle.

" Anyway, I brought us our lunch," she piped as she held up the oil and fuel.

" Great," the red car chirped as he grabbed them and set them down on the coffee table. " I'm starving."

He parked on one end and Sally parked on the other. They ate their lunch then went back to cleaning the motel.


	22. Payback's a Wrench!

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **Payback's a Wrench!**

Lightning and Sally headed over to the car wash. There was only one stall in the building, so they had to take turns. Lightning played with apps on his phone, while Sally washed up, first. He paused and glanced at the entrance. Sally's voice could be heard echoing inside. She was humming a tune, but it was difficult to hear what it was. The sound of the rushing water was muffling it. Lightning smirked then went inside, setting his phone to record. He approached the stall. Soon, the Porsche turned off the water then pulled out, drying off.

" I'm your Venus," Sally sang, looking at the floor. " I'm the fire at your desire."

Lightning busted up laughing, causing Sally to jump and look up. She spotted the phone immediately.

" Hey," she scolded, swiping a tire at it.

The race car backed away, shook his cab, wagged his tire then sped out of the building. Sally chased after him, water dripping everywhere. Lightning turned back as he sped off, still recording. Sally was catching up to him, fast. He faced forward then looked back again, still laughing. Lightning turned around once more, gunning it hard and leaving Sally behind. Suddenly, Sally floored it. Lightning spotted her and widened his eyes. He rolled down his window and tossed the phone into his cab. Soon, Sally caught up to him. The rest of the town's folk were parked at Flo's, watching the scene unfold.

" You give me that phone," Sally screamed as she chased her boyfriend in circles.

" You'll have to catch me first," Lightning teased, letting out a chuckle.

" You can be so immature sometimes," Sally shouted. " Now, give it."

Sheriff turned to Doc and leaned toward him.

" Doc, control your boy," he scolded.

" I don't know what you're talking about, Sheriff," Doc placed a tire on Mater's side, smirking. " This is my boy. That hormone crazed redhood is yours."

" Oh, sure," the Mercury rolled his eyes. " Whenever he does things like this, it's my problem."

" That's because I'm too old to deal with it," Doc commented, gesturing toward the couple.

" So am I, and I'm older than you," Sheriff retaliated then poked the Hornet, assertively. " You deal with him."

" Alright," Doc snapped, holding his tires up defensively. " Alright."

" I swear, I'm going to bust one of your windows, if you don't give me your phone, right now," Sally hollered.

" Now, don't be doing that," Doc bellowed loud enough for her to hear. " Those windows are a pain in the bumper to find."

Sally lunged at Lightning, tackling him to the ground. She pulled open one of his doors then fished out the phone, exposing his interior to everybody.

" Got it," Sally cheered, holding the phone up in the air.

" Hey, Man," Ramone taunted as he yelled. " Nice interior. The trunk really does match the cab. Hahaha."

Lightning slammed the door closed, embarrassed. He flipped back over on his tires.

" Ramone," Flo glared at her husband. " That wasn't very nice."

" Sorry, I just had to say it," Ramone argued, turning to her. " I don't get to use that joke very often. What else was I supposed to say?"

" Nothing," Flo grunted. " Now, you can start by saying you're sorry to Lightning."

Sally found the video, deleted it and gave the phone back to Lightning. Next, she started poking him, glowering.

" Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever do that again, or it'll be more than just your interior that'll get exposed," she hissed at him, making him gulp.

" Got it," he smiled nervously. " Never ever ever ever ever ever ever again. I promise."

The Porsche grinned victoriously.


	23. So Long

Spinning My Wheels: One-Shots

 **So Long**

" Adios, muy macho," Mater sang, breaking the fourth wall. " Goodbye, my friends. Hasta lasagna. We'll see you soon again."

" Mater, what are you doing," Lightning asked as he pulled next to him, windshield raised.

" Well, it's the last chapter of "Spinning My Wheels: One Shots", so I'm saying goodbye to our readers," Mater commented then started singing again. " So long. Farewell. Appendectomy. Goodbye. I'd love to stay and taste my first cheesecake. Yes?"

Lightning stared at him in confusion, mouth agape.

" What are you talking about," he questioned.

" Thanks, Everybody," Mater chimed as he waved. " Thank you, AllisonReader, Fabulous Cars Crazy Fudge, lolbit, manuelmusical14, Derpderp6, AceAttorneyFantic, I.M. Rally, IrishScottDragonGirl, queenlmno, Legend95, Guest, one speedy boi, Stormsgirl, and any future people who read and review this. You've been a great audience."

Lightning kept staring at him, blinking. He shook his front end, knocking himself out of the trance.

" Mater, you have seriously lost it," he rolled his eyes as he drove off screen.

" Stickers, what's going on," Sally's voice rang.

" Nothing," Lightning sighed, his voice echoing. " Mater is talking to himself. He said that we have people reading about us."

" Ooo, we have readers," Cruz's voice chirped.

She stormed onto the stage and waved, smiling.

" Hi, Mom," she buzzed.

" Great, now Cruz is doing it, too," Lightning groaned.

" Stickers, we really do have people reading about us," Sally uttered. " Humans, actually."

" What the heck is a human," Lightning scoffed.

" I don't know," Sally retorted then began typing on her computer. " I'll have to Google it…Hmm…According to Carspedia, they're hairless primates with hair in weird places. They come in a variety of skin colors, ranging from white to dark brown. Their hair color ranges from towhead to black...I wonder what skin and hair is...Also, what's a primate? Hmm..."

" Sounds like something from an old coupetale," Lightning dismissed.

" I think they're real," Sally spoke up.

" Well, I don't," Lightning disagreed. " There's no such thing as humans. Have you ever seen a human? I haven't."

" I have," Lizzie piped up as she entered. " It was the year 1963. I was working the register at the Curios shop when three of them walked in. They claimed to be time travelers/dimension hoppers. Funny looking creatures and, boy, did they smell funny. Nice, though."

" I saw them, too," Sarge grunted. " Back in Rustwell, New Mexico. They're made of really weird metal. All soft and squishy. No engine, either. They have these weird wrinkly pink things in their cabs, instead."

" I think I saw one once," Fillmore sputtered. " No, wait. That was a hairless cat."

" What's a cat," Cruz asked.

" A CAT is a bulldozer," Sheriff answered.

" Not according to the human world," Sally continued reading. " The humans' version of a cat is different from ours. And somehow one of them wound up here, because I've seen it, too."

" So have I," Flo stated. " I fed it some oil. It puked it back up and tipped over on its side. I've never had that kind of reaction from a customer before."

" I tried giving it a new paint job, since the one it had kept peeling," Ramone said. " It scratched me up and ran away."

" They don't wear tires, either," Luigi squeaked. " I've never been so insulted in my entire life."

" Si," Guido agreed.

" Easy to tow, though," Mater chimed.

" Anyway, getting off topic here," Sally uttered then continued researching. " Humans are real. In fact, they control every aspect of our lives. Whatever they write, we do."

" So, you're saying they're spying on us and forcing us to do things against our will," Lightning questioned then fell over, laughing. " Good one, Sal."

" I'm serious," Sally glared at him.

" Yeah, and Lizzie can drive 200 mph," Lightning chuckled, rocking on his cab.

" Stickers, look at this," Sally turned the monitor toward him. " See all of this? The humans call it Fanfiction. Do you remember doing any of this stuff, or dreaming about it?"

Lightning got up and started reading. Soon, his eyes became bulgy.

" Actually, I do," he shivered. " That is creepy."

" Old coupetale, huh," Sally smirked, raising a windshield.

" Okay, so humans are real," Lightning admitted as Sally turned the monitor back. " You were right, as always."

" So, you going to say thank you and goodbye to the readers," Mater questioned.

" Um, I'd rather not say thank you and goodbye to some alien species who think it's okay to spy and use mind control," Lightning spat.

" I agree with Lightning on this one," Sarge gestured toward the red car.

" Not even if they're really nice to you and don't make you do things you wouldn't normally do," Cruz chimed.

" Nope," Lightning denied.

" Not even if they give you marriage and kids," Cruz pressed.

" Cruz, if I wanted marriage and kids, I would have married Sally and started a family with her years ago," Lightning blurted.

" And vice versa," Sally agreed. " We're happy with our relationship the way it is. Thank you."

" Not even if they let Doc live," Cruz offered.

" What," Lightning stared at her, bewildered.

" Oh, in some of these Fanfictions, Doc is alive," Cruz piped. " He gets to see you turn old and stuff."

" The answer is still no," Lightning rejected, sternly. " Doc being here for real vs being alive in a fantasy are two totally different things. Not the same."

" What if they give you an updated engine that allows you to move faster," Cruz persuaded with a smirk, shrugging. " Or make you have an allergic reaction that does?"

" What," Lightning shoved Sally out of the way. " Who did that?"

" Hey," Sally shouted from behind him.

The race car skimmed through several stories before he found what he was looking for. He smiled and nodded after he read them.

" Humans are cool," he approved.

" I thought you didn't like humans," Cruz taunted.

" Well, any human that finds a way to make me faster is alright with me," Lightning tweeted.

" So, you'll say goodbye and thank you," Mater wagged his tow cable.

" Of course," Lightning uttered. " I'm not rude."

" Suck up," Sarge muttered under his breath.

" Everybody, together now," Mater shouted. " A one and a two and a…"

Suddenly, everything went dark and silent. Soon, the credits started rolling.


End file.
